The Boy Forgotten
by princey666
Summary: After having lived with the Dursley's for eleven years Harry finds out he was abandoned as his mother and brother come to take him to Hogwarts. As Harry comes to learn of the dark side of the wizarding world and magic he becomes a catalyst for change, enlisting the help of Draco and a band of misfits that have discovered the harsh truth of reality as well. DH eventually
1. Field of Innocence

Harry stared out the window at the red sky. The was slowly descending below the horizon, spilling a blood red anguish across the pale blue sky. Clouds, who had previously drifted free of any attachments or obligations, had come to a standstill. Even the blithe breeze that had aided in the heat of the day had fallen. On the opposite horizon the moon was rising and bringing with it night. Speckled lights were scattered in the sky, shining faintly against the dying rays of the sun. Everything was calm, as it always was before the storm. Nothing moved outside, all the children locked away for the night and the adults too unwilling to socialize if their eyes crossed paths with their neighbors. It was as if the world was dead.

The bark of a dog shattered the silence and the surreal scene dissipated. A car drove down the road, a light appeared in a living room, a rubbish bin was knocked over, a yell was accompanied by the cry of a child, the sun died and the moon rose.

Harry tore his eyes from the window and tip toed to the sink, trying not to make too much noise as he turned the faucet. Cool, sweet liquid gushed and he drank deeply, until he could no longer feel the pangs of hunger in his stomach. When he was full he turned his attention to his chest which was encrusted in dried blood. Taking a wad of toilet paper he wet it and carefully dabbed at the lacerations, careful not to reawaken sleeping blood. The water stung but not much. After carefully cleaning the wounds he pulled an oversized shirt and cleaned up the bathroom, fearful of leaving a mess.

He slipped from the bathroom and into hallway. He could hear his aunt in puttering around in the kitchen, the t.v. was blaring from the living room where his cousin most likely was. He listened closely for any signs of his Uncle before determining he was still at work. He was careful not to make any noise as he hurried to his cupboard, his cousin hated being disturbed when he was watching his stories. Once safe in his cupboard Harry took inventory, making sure everything was where he left it. Sometimes, when he was doing chores Dudley would come into his room and mess everything up or break his stuff then blame it on Harry. Harry hated when this would happen because Uncle would always get mad and call him an "ungrateful freak" even though he tried so hard to keep the wonderful things he got from his aunt and Uncle nice. When he was really good they would give him a toy of Dudley's, it was usually broken but he didn't mind, he loved it all the same. He wished he could be a good boy more often, he was usually bad but his aunt and Uncle always corrected him when he did something wrong so when he grew up he could be a good boy, just like Dudley.

With a secret smile he sat on the bed, his legs dangling off the side. He stared down at his socked feet, wondering if he would be able to reach the floor when he was older. The sight made him giggle and swing his legs, toes stretching to reach the ground. One day, he promised himself, one day he would be able to sit with his feet on the floor! but wait… wouldn't that just be standing...or would it be sitting?

Harry pondered this conundrum, brows furrowing in thought. So lost was he in contemplation that he didn't hear the front door open or smell the alcohol that followed. Heavy footsteps thudded to the kitchen. There was a clattering of kitchenware followed by a verbal rejection delivered by Aunt Petunia. The footsteps continued on their way to the stairs, only to pause at the foot. There was a giggling in the cupboard. A loud, obnoxious giggling that grated on the nerves, taking the previous feeling of rejection and morphed them into rage.

Harry jumped as his cupboard door slammed over. He quickly stifled a shriek as he was faced with a very red faced, very intoxicated, and very pissed Uncle. He knew from experience that fear always made Uncle madder because good boys weren't supposed to be scared, they were supposed to be fearless, like Dudley. His cousin wasn't afraid of anything and one day he wouldn't be scared either. For now he sat up straight like aunt Petunia had taught him and tried to hide the shaking in his voice as he greeted Uncle.

"Good evening Uncle. How was your day?"

"Just fine until now," Uncle snarled.

Harry flinched at the words, lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry Uncle, was I a bad boy again?"

"Absolutely horrible. You can't do anything right, you ingrateful freak. Your aunt was just telling me that you cooked the steak for too long and Dudley said you were making so much noise he couldn't hear the telly."

"I'm sorry Uncle. I'll do better tomorrow. I promise!" Harry turned his earnest eyes to his Uncle, hands clasped.

Uncle scoffed, "You always say that. You know what this means, right?"

Harry nodded fearfully and stood obediently, eyes on the ground as he hurried past his Uncle. Aunt Petunia said nothing as he entered the room and headed for the closet, barely glancing from her magazine as Harry chose a belt from the drawer, the one with the big metal buckle Uncle liked so much. Uncle nodded in approval as Harry handed him the belt. Fear filled him as he turned around, waiting for the first blow, shoulders shaking as he shed his shirt. Tomorrow he would be better, he would not be scared, he would be like Dudley, he would be a good boy and his aunt and Uncle would love him; but for now he stuffed his fist in his mouth as the first blow landed and blood trickled down his back.

What seemed like hours later Vernon lifted the barely conscious boy and threw him into the garden. The boy was bleeding everywhere and could just leave stains. There was enough already. Tomorrow he would hose down the boy and leave him in the cupboard for a couple of days, that usually worked. Of course, he had gone a bit farther with his punishments than usual, though he blamed that on the alcohol and his wife's rejection; she never let him fuck her when he was drunk. The boy would be fine though, he wasn't sure that he had broken any bones and if he had he would wrap them up and leave the boy alone for a couple of weeks. Nobody would miss him from school. With that line of thought finished he lumbered back into the house to raid the fridge and see if Petunia had changed her mind.

Harry winced as the door banged shut and whimpered at the pain that followed. He tried to lift his head to assess the damage done. Pain washed over him, so strong that he threw up his meager dinner. Unable to move to the side the vomit dribbled down his front and rested where his head met the ground. With a groan his eyes turned skywards.

The sky he had previously admired was gone, replaced by a silky darkness speckled with stars. A soft crescent light curved in the sky, veiled by the occasional cloud. As the wandering cloud revealed the hidden moon tears leaked from Harry's eyes.

Most people never grasp their mortality until their later years, when they are on the cusp of death and sometimes not even then. Adults know of death and acknowledge they are going to die but never truly accept it. Teenagers are gods in their perspective, immortal and drunk on the knowledge that they are in the height of their lives. Children never know of death. They are innocent and see only the light and life in the world for that's all they know. As the years grow so do the sorrows but children know no sorrow besides the occasional inconvenience. This innocence and vitality is why people try so hard to protect these tiny souls, why some have gone to inconceivable lengths to have this innocence for themselves. Nobody wants to face death and the spirit of a carefree child doesn't even grasp death. Or at least, not many children. There are those children, hurt, broken, or bound, that have discovered death and have faced it for themselves. There are children who have died, their fragile flame of innocence fading, and those who have watched it in glee. Harry understood none of this, nor could he, but as he stared up at the starry night he knew he was one of those children.

The moonlight blanketed him, his skin tingled with the sensation. The grass beneath him tickled his back and washed him with dew. The heady aroma of dirt masked the smell of blood and death. As the peaceful night closed in around him fear blossomed in his chest. Worse than any fear that Uncle had inspired or any fear that Dudley had imparted it ravaged through him like a hurricane. If he could have found his voice he would have screamed, begged, pleaded, anything to make this terror stop. Sweat drenched his body and his chest screamed with agony as he began to hyperventilate.

 _I don't want to die,_ he realized, and what child would. Unable to move, unable to cry out, unable to help himself he grasped at something, anything, flinging a part of himself he wasn't aware that existed in a desperate plea for help.

A single feather bloomed into existence, as pure as the moon and sparkling with starlight. The feather drifted slowly, caressed slightly by the wind before landing on the earth. Magic residing deep in the earth and in the life of every being surged forth, unable to deny the gift of absolute innocence the child had given. Gently the grass began to twine around the boy and the moonbeams wrapped him in a cocoon of warmth. Magic twined with the boy's own magic core and healed the wounded body. A faint blue light gleamed around the boy then sunk beneath the skin, repairing any damage done. The fading light of healing left the boy exhausted, panting as he rolled away from the sick on the ground, relieved when pain did not rebuke his movements.

The previously cool dewed grass turned soft and inviting as his eyes drifted shut, fatigue dragging him down into the welcoming arms of sleep. The stars twinkled above him, their feeble light kissing his skin. The wind ruffled his hair, whispering promises of protection. The magic of the earth calmed as it found home within the boy, warming him from the chill of the night.

In a few hours the night would fall away to day. Harry would be awoken to the sharp sting of the water on his skin as Vernon hosed him down, faced twisted into a scowl as he realized the boy had healed himself with the same freakiness he had sworn to stomp out of the boy. Aunt Petunia would refrain from any comment and would set the boy to work. Dudley would take pleasure in tormenting Harry. Harry would slowly realize the soft tendrils of magic that wound themselves threw his being and find comfort in them, especially as Uncle beat him again for his inability to be good. But for now the boy slept, watched over by the loving eyes of Gaia, his innocence maintained for just a while more.

*********Chapter End

So, this is a small plot bunny I have and decided to finally write it out. I haven't written in a while (probably evident by the crappy writing) and if anyone wants to be a beta feel free to request. I'm not picky. Tell me how you like it, I'll be posting the second chapter up after this. If people actually like it I'll continue. Chill?

Ciao


	2. Hey Brother

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Logan asked, eyeing the house before them warily.

A golden 4 hung on the door, proudly declaring it to be number 4 of Private Drive. Two cars, gleaming in the noonday sun, sat in the driveway. The lawn was neatly tended, the bed of flowers impeccable, the image marred only by a singular red bike that had been hastily discarded. White drapes hung in the window and a pie sat on a windowsill, the aroma of fresh baked cherry pie wafting out to them. There was slight activity in the upper right window of the house but other than that it sat, still in its perfection. From the outside no one would have imagined the horrors that went on within or the perverse nature of its inhabitants. It was the perfect picture of the perfect suburban home. If only the rotten interior matched the pristine interior.

Lily scouted out the area, taking note of the children down the block and the figure in the kitchen window, presumably cleaning up the aftermath of the pie.

"This looks like her house," she finally said with a scoff. "Petunia was always a freak for perfection."

Logan looked on, eyes wide. He had never met his aunt, his mother never wanted him to. She always said she hadn't wanted him to have to deal with the psychotic woman. Of course, that was before finding out about _him._

"He's here?" Logan asked, voice soft and nervous. It would be a lie to say he wasn't scared of meeting his relatives, especially his uncle whom he had heard many unkind rumors about, but he was determined not to let it show, he was a Gryffindor after all.

Lily glanced at her son. He stood tall, shoulders back, green eyes shining with determination, golden strands of hair fluttering in the wind. Even though he was only thirteen he had the look of a leader. One day he was going to lead the wizarding community to victory against the dark and bring light to everyone. One day songs of freedom would be sung about him and his story told. One day he would fulfill his destiny and take his places in the stars. But today he was still a boy and while Lily could already envision his bright future she knew he still had a long way to go and would need a lot of help along the way.

Smiling gently she grabbed his hand, earning a surprised look from Logan that faded into an embarrassed grin that his mum was holding his hand like a child.

"You ready?" she asked.

Logan's gaze shifted back to the house and he nodded. "Yeah,"

The two of them walked up to the house, hand in hand. Lily rang on the doorbell, followed by three short raps on the door just in case. A thin woman opened the door dressed in a salmon cocktail dress, hair still in curlers. The slight annoyance on her face melted into a mixture of fear and confusion as she saw the occupants on her doorstep.

"Lily?!" Aunt Petunia gasped. "You're alive?"

"Nice to see you too," Lily said with a wryly smile. From the expression on her sister's face this was not going to be the quick visit she had hoped.

"Who is this?" Aunt Petunia turned her attention to the blonde haired boy next to his sister.

"This is my son, Logan. May we come in?"

Aunt Petunia gaped for a moment before remembering herself. She opened the door to allow them in, muttering to herself about sons. They were hered to the sitting room and Petunia made an offer of tea that was politely declined. Once pleasantries were exchanged and introductions introduced Lily to the heart of their visit.

"We've come for Harry,"

Logan, who had been been looking around with curiosity (he'd never been in a muggle home before), grew attentive at his mother's words. He was finally going to met _him,_ Harry, the boy he had heard about occasionally as a child and was finally going to meet. His brother.

Aunt Petunia nodded. "I thought so." she mused. "But why now? You left him on our doorstep eleven years ago and have made no try to contact him since. I thought you had died . So why pick him up now?"

"Hogwarts,"

Aunt Petunia flinched at the word. She hated anything to do with magic, ever since she was a child. Once Lily had discovered her magical abilities her parents never made any time for her. They had shipped her off to a boarding school, left her to rot, never wrote, called, emailed. And then… She shook her head as dark memories threatened to rear their ugly head. That had been a horrible time in her life and she'd rather not remember.

She called for the boy. There was a clatter of dishes and a scuffling as Harry hurriedly heeded her call. She smiled slightly, glad for his obedience, it made her life so much easier. Heavens knew how much she loved Dudley but she would die if she had to deal with a second disobedient child.

"Yes auntie?" a mild voice came from the doorway. Three eyes landed upon the boy in the doorway. He was small and scrawny, dressed in clothes far too big for him and wearing a brightly flowered apron. His green eyes were hidden behind thick frames that had been broken and stuck together with tape. His mop of black hair was a disaster. Smudges of flour lingered on his cheeks and dusted his hair but his apron and sleeves were impeccably clean.

Upon seeing the visitors Harry turned to his aunt. "Shall I grab some tea and biscuits?"

Aunt Petunia waved the question off, gesturing to a chair. "Take a seat Harry. They're here for you?"

Harry bit his lip, shooting his aunt a worried glance, before sitting down on the edge of the seat, ankles crossed, hands folded in his lap. "Hello madame," he said politely. The woman looked at him with mild curiosity while the teen stared openly, eyes following his every movement and making him self conscious and he fought not to fidget.

"Hello Harry," the woman greeted. "My name's Lily Potter. This is my son, Logan Potter. I'm your mother."

Lily winced internally at the blunt words. She knew she could have phrased that better, made it less of a shock, but she didn't want to be here any longer than she needed to and if blunt, coth words did the trick who was she to complain.

Harry's face was emotionless as he stared at the two. His mind worked frantically to process her words. This woman, Lily, was his mother, the boy his brother. They were his family… They were supposed to take care of him… They left him here, in this hellhole… to die…

Logan held his breath as he waited for Harry to say something. He couldn't take his gaze away from the boy before him. To finally meet his brother, his actual brother, was something he dreamt of his whole life. This boy before him was his brother. Someone he could protect and tell stories to and play pranks with and race around the halls of Hogwarts with. Even though Harry had only been a concept in his life he already loved the boy before him. _Nothing,_ he swore to himself, _is every going to hurt you._ He couldn't help the blooming feeling of protectiveness that gathered in his breast or the fascination he felt. These feeling diminished as he saw the hatred that flared in his brothers eyes.

"You left me here," Harry accused Lily, voice soft and deadly. Lily started to say something but stopped as she felt magic gather around Harry, for more magic than an eleven year old should have. It seemed to flow from the ground and wrap itself in coils around the boy, as though protecting him. Lily paused, thinking of the best way to handle this situation.

"Yes, I did, and I'm sorry Harry. If you'll just let me explain-" The magic reacted to Lily's words, circling chaotically. Aunt Petunia looked at her curiously, unable to sense the magic in the room. Logan, too young to properly sense the magic, had his brows furrowed in confusion.

Harry took a deep breath and calmed his magic, wrapping to tighter around him. The magic wound around him gently, soothing him as it often did. Lily relaxed as she saw the control Harry had. It would be far too dangerous to have a child running around with so much magic uncontrolled; it still might be.

"Why are you here?" Harry finally asked, emotions leaving his face once again.

"We've come to collect you." Lily paused, waiting to see the reaction. When there was none she continued. "Starting September 1st you are going to be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with your brother, Logan."

"So I'm a wizard," Harry slowly intoned, eyes locked with Lily's.

Lily nodded. "Yes. Hogwarts will teach you how to use your magic and how to control it as well as allow you to join the magical community. You will live there for most of the year and attend it for seven years until you come of age."

Harry nodded, quickly processing the information and storing it away. Later he would examine it but for now he simply grasped the basics as he tried to obtain as much information as possible. "When am I to leave with you?"

"Right after you grab your things." Lily said as an obvious invitation for him to gather his possessions.

Harry looked to his aunt imploringly. She nodded faintly, as though still trying to grasp what was going on.

"Logan will help you," Lily added. "He's been dying to meet you."

Harry nodded and stood, waiting for a moment to ensure Logan was following him before moving out of the room. As he left he could hear talking start up again, this time arguing, between the sisters. It sounded as though aunt Petunia was against his abrupt departure and wanted to wait for her husband to get home. At the mention of Uncle Harry hurried.

In the eleven years Harry had lived in the house he still had the cupboard under the stairs. As a child it had seemed huge but now it was tiny. He hated being confined in there but at the same time it was a sanctuary. Due to Uncle's weight gain he could no longer fit into the cupboard. Often Harry would hide in the cupboard to escape Uncle's wrath.

Logan's eyes widened as Harry stopped in front of a cupboard below the stairs and ducked inside. Harry couldn't possibly sleep in there, right? Confused he followed the other boy, regretting the decision as he experienced first hand how cramped the area was. Harry was on the bed, a battered backpack next to him as his pulled clothes out from a chest that barely fit between the wall and the bed.

"Is this your room?" Logan slowly asked, unwilling to believe it.

Harry nodded once, intent on his task as he made sure his clothes were folded nicely before reaching under the bed, hand groping for a moment before finding a small shoebox. The shoebox was filled with little knickknacks he had collected over the years. A single silver thimble, a couple of well worn books, a swath of silk, and a necklace with an emerald pendant. Once these were neatly packed away in his bag he returned the shoebox to its original home and closed the bag. He listened for a moment, eyes falling shut, before looking at Logan.

"You can sit if you'd like,"

Logan murmured a thank you and sat on the bed next to Harry. It was a tight fit since neither of them could place their legs on the ground and were forced to cross them. From his position Logan had to slouch to avoid scraping his head on the ceiling while Harry, being smaller, was fine. After a moment of awkward silence Logan decided that he should at least make the most of the time he had alone with his brother.

"Is this really where you sleep?" Logan asked, only to bit his lip. He had meant to ask something else, anything else.

Harry gave a sigh and a tired nod. "Yes. Are you really my brother?"

"Yup!" some of Logan's previous excitement came back and imbued itself in his voice. "You're older brother actually. I've heard about you all my life. I can't wait to show you Hogwarts!" he caught himself before he started rambling.

"Really? I never knew I had a brother and I thought my parents were dead." Harry said softly.

Logan bit his lip, unsure of how to phrase this. "One of them is. Our father died when we were little…"

Harry looked up in shocked then nodded. "How did it happen?"

"He was murdered," Logan's tone turned dark, eyes flashing dangerously at the memory. "By Voldemort."

Harry asked and listened as Logan filled him in on the war against Voldemort and how their parents had fought against him on the side of the light, because of this Voldemort and tried to kill their family, but only succeeded in taking their dad. There was mention of their godfather who was still locked away and of Death Eaters, loyal servant of Voldemort, that had disappeared with the death of Voldemort. Logan grew silent at the death of Voldemort before telling how he had been the one to defeat him, somehow, when he was three. Their mother had left their father to watch them and Voldemort and stormed their house. Their father had died protecting them. When Voldemort tried to use the killing curse on them it had failed, rebounding and destroying the vile man. Both of them bore scars from the conflict and Dumbledore, a man of the light, and discovered it was Logan's magic that had protected them from the curse. Harry listened to this with rapt attention, eye narrowing at some parts but saying nothing.

When Logan was done Harry simply said, "I'm sorry I don't remember our father. He sounds like an honorable man."

Logan smiled softly. "I remember him a little. The memories are blurred and confusing but they're of him. He was an amazing man and a better father. He loved us more than anything." Logan laughed slightly, "He used to love playing hide and seek with us. You and me would hide and he would try to find us. One time he couldn't find us and mum freaked out, yelling at him until they finally found us in the closet. You had fallen asleep by that point, tired of waiting."

Harry felt a pang of sorrow that he couldn't remember that moment. It sounded like a good childhood memory, like one a normal child was supposed to have. He allowed himself to imagine what it would have been like if he had grown up with those people, been part of a happy family, and a wistful smile stole across his lips.

They boys continued to talk, mostly about trivial stuff. Logan filled Harry in about the magical world, telling him about Diagon alley and Honeydukes and Quidditch and the houses. There was so much Harry did not know and he listened with rapt attention, not wanting to miss a thing. By the time it had grown dark the boys were laughing like friends as Logan told of the pranks he had played with Fred and George, a pair of twins in his house and his best friends.

Harry fell silent as he heard the front door bang shut. There was only one person that it could be at this time in the night. Fear flooded his mind and his breathing quickened. Logan noticed his brothers odd behavior and looked outside the door to what it was. There was nothing there. He looked back at his brother who was shaking slightly, hands twisting in his pants.

"Harry," he murmured softly, not wanting to startle his brother. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry said much too quickly, voice threatening to break. "It's nothing."

A bellow came from the kitchen, yelling for Harry. Harry swallowed and rose, knowing it was better to be prompt when called. Logan watched his brother leave in confusion, wondering what could trigger such a change in the boy. He had seemed perfectly until a moment ago.

Harry entered the kitchen to find Uncle rooting through the fridge. Upon his arrival Uncle stood up and glared at the boy.

"What's this mess?" he demanded, voice a crude whisper.

Harry saw in dismay that he had not finished cleaning the kitchen after he had made the pie. The dishes were waiting patiently in the sink, demanding to be done, the counters had sprinklings of flour on them, and there was marks on the stove where the cherry filling had sloshed out of the saucepan. With growing dismay he turned to Uncle, murmuring a broken apology and a promise to clean the kitchen right away.

"Right away isn't good enough boy," Uncle grabbed Harry by the back of his neck, jerking him close. "They were supposed to be done before I got home so I would have a nice house to come home to. We provide for you, feed you, give you a bed. The least you could do is clean up You Own Mess!"

Harry flinched and tried to stammer out another apology but was cut short by a slap that jerked his head to the side and left tears stinging in his eyes. Uncle, encouraged by the tears, grabbed a knife from the sink and held it to the boy's neck.

"You good for nothing freak," the knife slide gently across skin, coming to a rest on the boy's cheek where a made a sharp cut. "We do everything we can to make you normal and still you're just a freakish Monster." The knife made another cut on the boy's arm.

Harry was shaking with fear, tears glimmering on his lashes. Uncle laughed at the sight, a freak trying not to cry, and grew him to the ground. Harry gave a small cry that was cut off by the following kick to his stomach that tore his breath away. Uncle amused himself, throwing a few more punches and kicks at the boy as he struggled to breath, but quickly grew bored. He had promised to take Petunia out tonight to some fancy posh restaurant so he had no time to have any real fun with his pathetic nephew. His lips curled in disgust that he was related to such a freak, thank God it was only by marriage, he wouldn't be able to stand having it in his bloodline. With a parting threat of more pain later he left to get ready. Harry gathered himself, grateful for the small punishment he had received. It was usually much worse. Every since Uncle had discovered that he could heal himself with magic the punishments had quickly escalated. Nothing he couldn't handle, nothing he didn't deserve, but it still hurt.

He hurried back to Logan, fearful of leaving him alone too long. He knew he deserved the punishments but he knew Logan didn't, he was a lion after all, and he didn't want Uncle to get the chance to hurt his brother.

"Harry, what happened?" Logan asked when he ducked into the cupboard, grabbing his bag.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, wiping the blood from his face as he called upon his magic to heal him. He had forgotten before, with a punishment so mild he didn't need to heal himself, it would serve only as a reminder to be better, but since he knew it would worry Logan he would heal it this time.

Logan tried to make some form of protest but Harry had grabbed his hand and was quickly dragging him from the room. He followed, vowing he would find out what had happened. He had a sinking feeling it had something to do with his uncle…

"Are we ready to leave?" Harry asked Lily, a rare defiance shining in his eyes. He wasn't supposed to ask questions, ever, especially if they were demands, but he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, to protect Logan.

Lily looked at Harry, eyes narrowing on the trace of blood on his cheek, but holding her tongue. After what Petunia told her it was probably her husband. With a sigh she rose, her back cracking in displeasure after her long hours of sitting on the couch. The two boys were waiting for her and she rubbed her neck, stress already settling as she thought about the future. Two kids, great…

She bid Petunia farewell. It was a terse event, as it always was. She was glad she only say her sister once a decade or so. She didn't think she could stand more than that. The boys waited patiently, Logan bidding a polite farewell to his aunt, Harry following in suite. As they left Lily watched the glances Logan kept shooting at Harry and sighed. She had a lot to do before school began.

**** Chapter End

Second chappy up. Please review, like, or something so I know you interested. I'll still write it for a while but I don't know for how long. If peeps actually like it I'll finished it. Heads up, there a lot of child abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, rape, torture, ect, ect. This will also deal with sensitive topics (besides rape) like depression, medication abuse, anorexia/bulimic, possible cutting, ect. It could be possibly triggering but if anyone ever needs to talk I'm here, message me and I'll give you my email.

Any confusion had right now will be cleared up, in a bit. Hope you're enjoying the story and if you wanna beta please please please message me. I'm a lazy ass who will write this shit but I ain't gonna check over it so I need someone to give me a swift kick in the pants and set me right when I ain't doing this story justice. Thank you

Next chapter will be up soon. Ciao

(not all AN's will be this long. I just wanted to throw out the necessary information, sorry for the rambling)


	3. Starlight Encounters

Harry looked around Diagon Alley, eyes dulled. He tried to spark interest at the spectacles that went on around him but was unable to muster the emotion. Instead, he watched. There was a witch scolding a small child that had burnt his fingers by trying to take his mother's wand. There was an ice cream shoppe sign that frequently changed colours. There were owls swooping about, some resting on the shoulders of their wizards. Smoke plumed from several shops and sparks flew from the wands of several overly excited young magic doers. All the people were followed by an aura of magic, often a dull brown or yellow, several venturing darker but none lighter. The soft magic that swelled beneath the ground and laced the flowers that resolutely grew between the cracks shimmered all colors of the rainbow but the magic of men was harnessed and injured, confined for too long and taken on the look of the beaten. Sorrow flashed through Harry briefly before being carried away again. Where it went he did not know. It was hard to find emotions and even harder to hold on to them. It was slightly infuriating, or would have been if he could summon a spark of anger. Rather, he was left empty, an open vessel to watch the world of the living.

Logan looked back at his brother, scared at the blank expression on his face. Two days after they had gotten Harry from the Dursley's their mum had taken him to St. Mungo's for a check it. It was discovered that Harry was prone to magical seizures and had to be medicated for his safety and others. An unfortunate side effect of the medicine was the lack of emotion and disassociation. The healers had said it would fade as Harry grew use to the potion but it would take some time. For the moment his brother was a mindless drone, doing as he was told but unable to care for himself, lost in a haze of medication.

With a sign he took Harry's hand, leading him to Gringotts, the wizarding bank. The twins, Fred and George, had promised to meet him there. They were going to go together to get their school things. After not seeing his best friends all summer he couldn't help the bubbling excitement as they came into view,secretive smiles on their faces.

"Fred, George!" he cried happily as he pulled them into tight hugs.

"Allo there good ol' mate! Haven't seen you in some time. Thought you had forgotten about us," Fred exclaimed with a wink.

George turned to Harry, "And who's this little guy? A marauder in training perhaps?"

Logan laughed, tugging Harry to his side. "This is my little bro, the one I've been telling you about, Harry."

The twins did a double take, George pretending to faint dead away forcing Fred to catch him, both of them gasping in mock shock, eyes wide.

"You're brother…

"...the one you're always telling us about."

"Yup," Logan said with a proud smile. "This is him. Harry, this is Fred and George."

Harry stared up at the twins. Words rose to his mouth, a greeting perhaps, but they lay heavy on his tongue, refusing to make an entrance. The twins were tall with shocks of red hair, freckles, and matching grins of mischief. Fred aura was a dull yellow, George's a rusty brown. He watched in fascination as he saw the auras intertwine, rather frequently, the colors melding. It seemed as though they shared a magic source. He stored the information away, aware that he should do something with such valuable information but unable to think of anything. His thoughts were so foggy, drifting inconsistently, unable to stay focus for long.

The twins exchanged a glance as their greeting went unnoted by the smaller kid. They turned to Logan with questioning looks.

"Is he alright?"

"He seems a bit out of it."

Logan looked at Harry and sighed. "He's been like this for the past few days. We took him to St. Mungo's and they found out he was prone to magical seizures. Since then he's been on medication. He's still getting used to it so for the time being he's like this."

The twins nodded in didn't want to imagine what it would be like to be drugged day in and day out. It must be hell.

"Don't worry Logo," Fred said, tossing in the nickname Logan so dearly detested in an attempt to lighten the mood. "We'll make sure nothing happens to him."

"We'll look after him better than we do our own brother," George chimed in.

Logan gave a weak chuckle and thanked his friends, grateful that they were so understanding. That settled they decided to grab their school things. After going to several shops they stopped at Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. The older boys already had school robes, having grabbed some earlier this summer, leaving Harry the only one in need. After a quick discussion they decided to have Harry grab his robes while the twins and Logan grabbed some ice cream for all of them. It was a hot day and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour had the best ice cream. Logan explained this to Harry and promised to be back in just a few minutes. Harry nodded and walked into the shoppe, Logan watching him before heading after the twins in their quest for ice cream.

Harry looked around the shop he had entered. It was filled with billowing fabrics and mannequins proclaiming the latest styles. There was an entire section of the store currently dedicated to school robes, which would be replaced with casual robes as the students left for Hogwarts. Harry turned towards the school robe section, smiling faintly as fabric brushed against his skin. He was unsure whether it was the drugs or the gossamer fabric abundant in the store but it felt as though he was trapped in a dream, a very pleasant one. He craned his head to try and spot someone he could ask for help with finding robes but could not see over the racks. With a shrug he followed the maze of fabric until he came to a small clearing. A boy stood on the stool, arms out to the sides, several pins holding the fabric on his frame. Harry felt a spark of interest as he observed the boy's aura. It was a soft silver that curled softly, occasionally wandering aimlessly. A smile stole over his lips at the playful nature of the boy. So far everyone's magic he had seen had been confined and trapped, acting the part of a hit dog, but this boy's magic was delightful.

The boy turned around, grey eyes locking in on Harry immediately. Harry saw the magic wrap around the boy in surprise, ruffling his pale hair, before returning to its idyllic patterns. The boy assessed Harry briefly before putting on a nonchalant air of superiority.

"You're here for your school robes I presume?" the boy had to slight sneer to his voice, head lifted in arrogance, but his eyes were sharp and calculating.

Harry nodded, watching the boy with dull eyes, taking in every detail he could in his foggy state, forcing himself to focus on the boy's words.

"Do you know what house you're going to be in?" the boy asked, inspecting his robes "I know I'm going to be a Slytherin, there is no finer house. I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be _too_ bad. I would rather die than be placed in Hufflepuff and there's no way I'm a bloody lion." a short laugh followed that. Harry bite his lip, trying to articulate a sentence.

A sudden wave of magic flowed through him, briefly clearing his befuddled mind. His eyes fluttered closed with a sigh of relief. He had missed this magic. The medicine dulled it. With the limited time he knew he had he turned back to the boy.

"The stars watch you," he said, magic urging him on. It whispered softly, telling him of the shimmering sky that had followed this young dragon and the great deeds he would do. He stared intently at the shocked boy, urging him to understand.

"W-what?" the boy stammered, neck flushing slightly.

Harry felt the fog began to creep back and panicked slightly. He didn't want to go back to that dull world. He didn't want to lose himself again. He forced himself to focus on the boy, relaying the message the magic had given him.

"Your role in this world is special, unique. You have the chance to change the stars and call them to you, but you must reach out your hands first." his words came fast and hurried, he tried to articulate the immense future this boy had, this boy who could change the very dynamics of the wizarding world. The fog threw these thoughts together and denied him, forcing him to throw out this cryptic message in hopes the boy would understand. A phrase popped into his head, the last the magic had imparted on him and he threw that out in hopes the boy would know its meaning. "The evening star sets but the morning star will rise and change will blossom on the horizon of death."

The fog grabbed Harry, clouding everything, leaving him with impressions of stars and a world anew. The boy was staring at Harry, having given up every pretense of superiority. The words resonated, tugging at some place deep within him, awaking something he was not aware that existed.

Harry watched as the boy's magic reacted jovially, as though excited at the boy's future. The silver wisps shone with starlight and danced joyfully. He knew he could have done more, perhaps if he had more time, but what he had done was enough. For now at least. Exhaustion stole over him at fighting off the medication for so long and he sagged having to catch himself against a rack of robes.

"Are you okay?" he dimly heard a voice ask. He smiled and nodded. Everything was as the stars said, everything would be okay.

Logan walked into the robe shoppe to find his brother leaning against some robes, looking as though he was about to faint. He shoved the ice cream he had grabbed for his brother into Fred's hands and hurried over, dimly aware that another boy was there.

"Harry?" he asked frantically. "Are you okay?"

Harry looked up at him with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

Logan gave a sigh of relief, please to see a smile on his brother face, and helped him stand. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go find a place for you to sit down for a while. We can finish shopping later."

Harry nodded and followed his brother, sad to leave the boy's delightful magical aura behind. He knew he would meet the boy again soon. It was written in the stars.

The Hogwarts Expressed gleamed brightly, a soft plume of smoke already rising from it's ready engines. Platform 9 ¾ was filled with the farewells of families and the renewal of old friendships. Many of the first years stood off to the side, skittish about mingling with the rest of the students who greeted each other with gusto. The air was thick with laughter and gossip as the grapevine began, unable to wait to reach the school.

Logan hugged his mom hard and kissed her cheek. He was going to miss her. He missed her every year but he couldn't wait to leave for Hogwarts either. He wished her love and promised her to write before she turned to her attention to Harry. Lily gave Harry a hug and peck on the cheek which was duly reciprocated, the drugs still dulling Harry's every movement and thought. She wished both of her son's farewell as they made their way through the crowd to the train.

After a long and tiring search Logan found an empty compartment and threw both of trunks into the overhanging compartments. Pleased with his work he turned to Harry. "I'm going to go find the twins. I'll be back here in a bit."

Harry, already seated at the window, nodded in confirmation. With a parting glance to make sure Harry was alright Logan ducked out of the compartment, eager to find the two devils he called friends. As he was leaving he saw Ron, the younger brother of Fred and George, heading towards the apartment. Looks as though the twins were making good on their promise to help Harry out. He was sure those two would make great friends.

Harry didn't bother looking up as he heard the door slid open. It would have been too much effort. Besides, why should he. It didn't make any sense, did it? Many things didn't make much sense these days. He wondered why.

"Anyone sitting here?" a timid voice asked, prompting Harry to finally look to see who had entered. A very freckly boy, a red head, stood there, looking thoroughly awkward. He distantly connected him to the twins. The redhead looked at him expectantly and Harry remembered he had been asked a question. He shook his head, hoping it was the right answer. Apparently it was for he was given a grin and a thanks as the boy took a seat on the second bench.

"I'm Ron," the boy announced, holding his hand out. "Ronald Weasley."

Harry hesitated before taking the hand, mimicking the words. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Ron looked as though he expected this but smiled just the same. He smiled back, the smile soon fading away. An awkward silence fell over the two that Ron tried to alleviate by asking questions.

"So, know what house you want to be in?"

Harry shrugged. He had not thought a lot about houses and their meanings. He remembered a little of what Logan had told him. A house of bravery, loyalty, knowledge, and cunning. He knew there was more to the dynamics of the houses but the fluffy feeling of cotton balls in his head made it hard to concentrate.

"Do you know?" he asked instead.

Ron smiled brightly. "Gryffindor of course!" he boasted. "Everyone knows that's the best house there is. Besides, my family's been in the house for as long as I can remember. We're light through and through!"

"Being in Gryffindor does not equate with the light," Harry pointed out, the words managing articulate themselves. "Plenty of them have gone bad,"

Ron grimaced at this, not liking his house being bared. "At least they have a better reputation than Slytherin. They're the worse."

Harry thought of the starlite boy from the robe shoppe. He had declared he was going to be in slytherin. Maybe he would turn dark as so many from that house had. He frowned at this, not liking the thought of a dark prince. The boy's magic was too pure to be tainted with the sins of night. He shuddered at the thought of such a beautiful blossoming of magic being torn by the wrongs of the world, broken and damaged. It was horrifying.

Ron studied the boy across from him. His brothers had told him to go talk to him but so far it wasn't going that well. Harry kept zoning out and looked slightly dazed. He didn't think Harry even remembered they had been talking. As nice as the boy seemed he didn't think they would be very good friends. Besides, there was something about him, something he couldn't understand. It was unnerving. He opened his mouth the continue their conversation when the door slide open again.

Harry looked up as he felt the silver magic return. With a smile he saw the starlite boy and greeted the magic that nudged at his hands. He was aware that the boy and Ron had engaged in a conversation but ignored it, distracted by the silver strands that threaded through his fingers.

Ron glared at the offending blonde, recognizing him instantly, "Malfoy," he spat.

Malfoy gave a sneer as he saw who it was. "And you must be a Weasley. Forgive me if I don't shake your hand; I wouldn't want to catch anything."

Ron growled and sprang to his feet, fist balled, ready to fight. "What are you doing here?"

Malfoy held his hands up in mock surrender. "I heard a rumor that the boy who lived brother was in here. I see I was mistaken." he said as he looked around the compartment. He paused as he saw the other boy. "Wait, you're the boy from the shoppe."

Harry realized the boy was talking to him and looked up, eyes questioning. He had missed the statement issued and merely tilted his head in confusion. He tried to focus, not wanting to miss a word but the clouds in his head were too strong and he could only keep a faint hold on reality.

"What's your name?" Malfoy asked, forgetting his pureblood manners. This boy had left him in the robe shoppe, utterly confused after Madame Malkins had hurried him away to finish his measuring, only having the chance to see someone collect the boy. Since then he had pondered the message and found himself repeating the final phrase given to him.

"Harry," the boy, Harry replied.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," Draco returned. Harry smiled faintly before his eyes dulled and he grew unfocused. Draco wondered if anything was wrong with him.

"Hey Harry, look who I found!" Logan burst into the compartment, Fred and George in tow, but stalled upon seeing a new person. "Who's this?"

"It's a bloody Malfoy," Ron spat, still glaring at the blonde. The three older boys tensed having heard some unfavorable things about the Malfoys.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving," Draco said flippantly. "Bye Harry,"

Logan watched Draco leave before turning to Harry. "You know him?"

Harry shook his head, eyes migrating back to the window. Logan asked a few more questioned that were handled by Ron. Upon exhausting the subject The boys began to talk about Hogwarts, the twins throwing in some unhelpful surprises about the sorting. Ron paid rapt attention, excited to hear all he could. Harry listened at moments, the words seeming to come to him as though floating through water. It made it all so terribly confusing so after a while he stopped, preferring to watch the view out the window. At some point a teary boy and bushy haired girl came in about a toad and a trolley came by with sweets. When they came closer to the castle they got dressed into their robes, the twins and Logan donning on gold and red striped ties to declare their house, Ron and Harry with a simple black until the sorting.

Once off the train Logan pointed Harry in the direction of a giant man who was bellowing for first years. Behind him stood a huge lake from which an enormous castle rose from. Harry gaped in awe at the sight, eyes wide. Never had he seen anything so big and grand. With the windows glowing softly and the doors flung open in welcome it was beautiful.

Harry was herded onto a boat with the teary boy and a petite black haired girl. The boats began to row themselves towards the castle, much to the amazement to many first years. Magic rose from the depths of the lake and called to Harry, prompting him to look down. In the glowing depths were creatures he had never seen before, seemingly humanoid yet gliding through the water with the ease of fish. Several looked to him, eyes imploring as they swam underneath his boat. He dangled his hand in to water, concentrating to will his magic to descend to play with the creatures. Soft streams of magic whirled in a delightful dance with the creatures, sparking with their magic. Wearied Harry leaned against the side of the boat, idly watching the creatures. If the other occupants of the boat saw anything they gave no indication of it, eyes still fixed on the castle.

Harry was sad to leave the lake, having grown fond of the fantastic creatures. As the doors of the castle closed he felt a sudden panic as his magic shuddered and left. The medicine forced itself into his mind, cutting through the fear and obscuring his thoughts. With a forced calm he followed his classmates to the great hall where the stood outside an enormous pair of doors. A woman began to read off something, or perhaps she was giving a speech. He couldn't focus on her, couldn't hear her though he could see her mouth moving. Shortly after the doors opened and they were allowed into a giant room.

Harry took note of the four table and the table of teachers at the front but could focus on no more than that. The fog was making it nearly impossible to think. The clamouring in the room fell to a hush as the first years entered. A voice began to read names from the front of the room, standing besides a chair. A hat sung. Children ran up. The hat yelled. Applause. Children ran to table. Green. Red. Blue. Yellow. Blue. Yellow. Red. Green. It swirled and swirled and swirled into the world blended together. A name called. His Name. Harry Potter. A hush. Whispers. A brother. A brother of the boy who lived. Is it? It might? Who knew? You? No? The hat spoke, whispered. Gryffindor. You're brother. No? Ravenclaw. Not right. I know.

"SLYTHERIN!"

No applause. Silence. Walking. Sitting. Staring. Everyone staring. A small smattering of applause. Gone. Names called. Children ran up. The hat yelled. Applause. Children ran to table. Over and over and over.

Logan stared worriedly at his brother from his seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry had not reacted when he had been placed in Slytherin. In fact, he had not reacted at all since entering the Great Hall. He hoped everything was okay. His brother's eyes were so dull, lifeless. The twins, noticing Logan's far off stare, quickly distracted him and promised they would visit the little snake in the morning. Logan laughed at his brothers new nickname and delved into a planning the great pranks of this year.

The sorting came to a close, to the relief of many grumbling tummies. A few words of gibberish from the headmaster lingered in their heads as the children dug into their feast. Conversation flew as the older students welcomed the newbies and the first years made friends with each other, already secure in their new houses. On the Slytherin table conversation was made with discreet glances towards a certain black haired boy, the rumored brother of the boy who lived, and speculations made.

Harry sat amidst the talk and chatter, unaware of the anything around him as the fog took complete control of his mind. There were impressions of smells and images, of spiced plums and black eyes. He was aware of those talking around him, of movement, but it seemed to reach him too slow, or maybe it was too fast. He couldn't tell. It was all blending together. When he was a boy Dudley had tied him to a merry-go-round and spun and spun and spun. The world had vanished into blurs of colours. This was what his world was know. A sudden spike of pain ran through his head, destroying the miserable memory and leaving him in a world moving too fast or two slow.

Harry looked around in confusion. He was in a room, what appeared to be a bedroom. His room? He vaguely remembered walking here with his classmates but the memory was muddled. There had been a feast, he remembered that. Trying to recall the details gave away to a throbbing headache and he abandoned the task, turning his attention to the room he was in. His trunk was at the foot of the bed, having been brought from the train, and he rummaged in it for his night clothes. With a quick trip to the restroom he was ready for bed. After laying on the bed, tossing and turning, for half the night, haunted by shadowy figures and a fear of being so open, he grabbed a blanket and pillow, making his way to the closet.

The closet was roughly the size of his old… his old what? He tried to think of it but another twinge of pain deterred him. Rather he made a nest of blankets and pillows. Once comfortable in his makeshift bed he closed the door, encasing him in darkness. It welcomed him with warm arms and he felt the previous terror fade away as he drifted off to safe. He'd always been safe in small places. He'd always be safe in small places. No one could hurt him here.

***Chapter End

I'm still looking for a beta if there's any interest.

Thank you so much for the sweet reviews I received. I appreciate them a lot.

Thanks for reading and whatnot. Hope it's living up to expectations. I'll post some more this weekend of able. Possibly tonight if I stay up late enough... how important is sleep?


	4. And so the days pass

The morning light found Harry still tucked away in his nest. It crept underneath the door and whispered warmth over skin. Harry groaned softly before pulling himself from bed. With a yawn he grabbed his robes from his trunk and got ready for the day. Checking several times to make sure he had his school stuff he hurried to the Great Hall Entrance. Logan had promised to meet him there to take him to the Hospital Wing for his potion before breakfast. As much as he looked forward to seeing his brother he couldn't helping stopping to admire the castle. Due to his foggy memories Harry was reliant on the other first years heading to breakfast to find his way.

Logan, who was standing by a pillar, broke into a smile upon seeing him. Unable to resist Harry smiled back. Logan seemed surprised by this but Harry didn't question it. He was glad to see his brother as they stood in a place where he would finally learn to control his magic. It was amazing. He would have never thought such a thing could have happened to him.

"Morning Harry," Logan grabbed his brother in an one-armed hug as they began their journey to the Hospital Wing. "How'd you sleep?" he remembered the many nights that Harry had been unable to sleep and often had to be soothed by him or their mum. He really hoped that Harry's first night at school wasn't plagued by nightmares.

"Great," Harry admitted. "I haven't slept that well in a while. You?"

Logan was glad to hear of Harry's sweet dreams and in turn told Harry his wonderful night sleeping the snoring of two idiotic twins. Encouraged by Harry's laughter Logan began to talk freely as they made their way through the halls. Harry asked questions every so often but seemed content to listen for the most part, laughing whenever something struck him funny. Logan couldn't stop grinning. This was the brother he had wanted, not the boy so drugged he seemed a corpse, but this smiling child with shining eyes who laughed at his tales and was eager just to be with him.

The mood didn't last as Madame Pomfrey handed Harry his potion. Harry drank it in one go, grimacing at the taste but not complaining. It only took minutes for the life to slowly bleed from Harry's eyes. Logan sighed, wishing he could do something so Harry wouldn't have to take the damned potion. It was horrible, seeing the eyes of the dead in the face of a child. With a heavy heart he took Harry back to the Great hall, trying to talk in a jovial manner but unable to express the same enthusiasm when met with the silence.

Snape strode into his class, banging the door as he entered. It was his last class of the day and he knew it was going to be a good one. Harry Potter was in this class along with the chance to humiliate his old school boy rival's son. He had been as surprised as anyone upon finding out that the boy who lived had a brother, but it was a pleasant surprise. Another child to torment. What more, this child was in his house. How James must be rolling in his grave at his son, his very own flesh and blood, being a snake. The thought almost put a smile on his face.

He began class by taking roll, pausing at Harry's name. "Ah, yes-our new celebrity," he remarked, earning snickers from the Slytherins and several Gryffindors. The boy in question didn't seem to notice. Snape narrowed his eyes at the apparent defiance. He would not tolerate any form of rebellion in his classroom, especially not from Potter's son.

He rose from his desk and began to stalk the room. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

All eyes were on him as his speech concluded. One girl (Hermione?) had begun diligently writing down his words. Even though she was a Gryffindor he decided he liked her. She was ambitious and would go on to do great things if she was willing to make a few sacrifices.

Deciding that the silence and fallen for long enough he turned to Harry. "Potter!"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked at him with emerald eyes that looked exactly like Lily's before his gaze slid away. Snape frowned, unsure of how to react. On one hand Potter could just be a prat but on the other something might be wrong. He decided to try again, just to make sure. "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

The question wasn't even acknowledged this time, Harry's eyes unseeing. Snape suppressed a sigh and stormed from the room, yelling that Malfoy was in charge in his absence. He swept through the halls like an overgrown bat, a skill that he had spent hours perfecting and would kill anyone who dared mentioned those hours. Stopping outside of the charms classroom he requested to see Logan Potter and was please to see the blood drain from the youth's face.

"Is there something wrong professor?" Logan asked him as soon as the door closed.

"It's your brother?" Snape watched Logan grew worried, biting his lip. "Is he well?"

Logan shook his head. "Not completely sir. He's prone to magical seizures and needs to take a potion to limit the damage. Since it's new medicine it has a lot of side effect, one of them being his dazed and unfocused state. The healers said it would get better in time."

Snape nodded. That explained a lot. He sent the teen back to class and hurried back to the dungeons, praying everything was still intact after Draco's short reign of dictatorship.

He discovered a petty fight of insults being had when he returned but otherwise no one was harmed. Greatly relieved he set the class to making a cure to boils. A simple potion that would allow him to gauge the ability of each person. It was one of the only days that the children weren't placed in pairs. He sneered as he watched a poor Gryffindor grab the wrong ingredients and quickly calculated the reaction it would have before deciding it wouldn't be too dangerous. With a wonderful lack of papers to grade, a luxury soon to be lost, he stalked the aisles of the classroom, giving everyone the allusion of him breathing down their necks. He was please to see Hermione farther along in her potion than anyone else, paying close detail to every step of the process. Draco, already having made the potion, was at ease as well. Nearly everyone else was struggling, cursing quietly as their potions turned wrong colours or consistencies. Morbid curiosity dragged him to Potter's cauldron. How would a boy so medicated be able to make a potion correctly? Madame Pomfrey hadn't contacted him so Harry wasn't a threat to himself or others but still, he was curious.

The first thing he noticed as he approached Potter was the intent glint in those green eyes. The boy was working hard, paying attention to the slightest of detail but brewing with ease he hadn't seen in a long time. He watched, slightly shocked, as Potter finished brewing, left with a perfect cure for boils, a feat he hadn't managed on his first time. This boy must have had some form of outside training he concluded, sweeping back to his desk, there's no way he would have been able to brew that on the first try.

With this thought putting his mind at ease he informed the class hat only five minutes remained to finished their potion and place it on his desk, taking joy in the ensuing panic. How he loved the first day of school.

"Potter," McGonagall said in exasperation. "What so ever is the problem?"

Harry looked at the thin strip of metal he was supposed to be transfiguring into a needle. All he needed to do was sharpen one end and put a hole on the other. They had been working on this for the past week but Harry had yet to make any progress. Even Neville Longbottom, a first year Gryffindor who had been declared the most unmagical boy in the school, had managed to sharpen his metal strip, though he did so on both ends rather than one.

Harry sighed and glanced back up to his waiting professor. "I'm sorry ma'am, I'm trying everything you told us, my magic just doesn't want to do it."

McGonagall prepared herself for another lecture about how magic did not have personalities of its own and he most certainly could if he would only try harder. As she began to speak she noticed the far off look had filled Harry's eyes once again and knew it would be pointless. Even though she knew about the side effects of his medication it was still difficult not to get crossed at him. He had so much potential. Every paper he had turned in was brilliant, even adding notes on how to improve on some spells or how to combine others to create a similar effect. His knowledge of the theoretical went beyond any first year she had ever taught. There was still gaps but she had no doubt that they would filled as he continued. His practical skills on the other hand were dismayal. No matter what he just couldn't do it. He pronounced the words correctly, had the proper movements, but nothing would happened. She knew, she just knew that if he practiced and focused more he would do great. But for now all she could was rebuke him for lack of concentration and hope he might, someday, get it.

"Class dismissed," she called. The class scrambled to grab their stuff and hurried out of the room. Harry lagged as usual, moving in a daze manner, clueless to the rest of the world.

"Swish and flick!" Professor Flitwick trilled, waving his hands to demonstrate. The class below him was struggled to copy the motion, several red faced as they glared at their feathers. He looked over to Hermione Granger, who was the brightest student in his class. She was always coming after class for help on homework or to ask questions. What a lovely girl she was.

Currently she was concentrating on her feather, which was already rising several inches above the table. With a cry of surprise he called the rest of the classes attention to her, clapping his hands delightfully. There were several resentful murmurs from the rest of the class but he ignored those, they would figure out how to do it sooner or later.

"Now remember everyone, it's LeviOsa, not LevioSA." he repeated, hoping someone would listen and find the information useful.

He hopped down from his mountain of books and roamed the classroom, helping as needed. Within minutes more children were picking it up, faces lighting up with excitement. He couldn't keep a smile from his face. He loved seeing young minds learning something and the fascinated look they always had at their own skill. It was the reason he became a teacher.

He stopped by Harry's desk and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Harry was a mystery to him and one of the oddest students he had ever met. With a nonexistent attention span and inability for focus the child shouldn't have been able to do well in charms but he did, though it was rather hit and miss. Some charms Harry instantly picked up, others he couldn't do no matter what. He got decent grades on his homework, slightly higher than the average, but never seemed to study. Overall he was an odd child but Flitwick was still pleased to see Harry had managed to levitate his feather a few inches.

"Good job Harry," he chirped.

The boy looked over, taking a moment to focus before replying. "Thank you professor,"

Flitwick gave the boy one last smile before continuing on, helping Ronald with his charm as he accidently set the feather on fire. At some point in between stopping Vincent's feather tickling Pansy and correcting Neville's wand movement he thought he saw Harry moving the feather without a wand. With a shake of the head and a promise to get more sleep he went back to helping the students. What an odd child Harry was.

Madame Hooch blew her whistle, attaining the attention of the crowd of first years. It was the Slytherins and Gryffindors, always a deadly disaster. She sighed internally, when was the administration going to learn that they couldn't put snakes and lions in the same flying class. Last year three of them had wound up in the hospital wing and seven brooms had been broken. One would like to think they highers ups would learn, but no, let's just stick the same prejudice kids against each other and throw brooms into the mix, it's a great idea, nothing will go wrong.

She ended her mental rant with a promise to talk to Dumbledore again and gave simple instruction. "Put your hand over the broom and say 'Up'. The broom will jump into your hands."

Preceding said instructions she watched as four kids hit themselves in the head, one hit his neighbor, and a broom fly into the forbidden forest, presumably lost forever. Oh well, the school needed new brooms.

Once all the kids had a broom in hand she decided it was time for the difficult part, getting them in the air.

"Now you are going to mount your broom. Try to keep your center of mass in the middle of the broom, it'll make it easier to balance. After you are properly mounted on your broom jump and allow the broom to rise a few feet. Then you are going to lean over the handle of the broom and slowly descend. While doing this there will be no funny business. No pulling at each other brooms or trying to make someone fall." she glared hard at all of them, hoping they might actually listen this year. "That being said, the most important part of this is to relax. The broom will not respond to you if you are too scared to control it properly. If needed take deep breathes, in through the nose out through the mouth." she looked around once more, hoping that there would be at least one mixed Slytherin and Gryffindor class that didn't go awry.

"Have at it," she finally said, praying for a miracle.

Most of the students managed to mount their brooms properly. She had to correct several students, including a pompous blonde who thought that just because he flew a few times on a training broom gave him more experience than her and a terrified boy who was horribly clumsy. A few brave souls even managed to get up in the air and down successfully. She felt a small hope that her prayer had been answered. That hope was decimated as a small, black haired child began rising higher and higher and higher… shit.

"Come back down," she called, hoping without hope they might actually heed her words and do as she asked and not end up in the hospital wing. The child kept rising higher and higher and higher… fuck.

She called a few more times but it seemed as though the child couldn't hear her. He didn't seem to be panicking either. She wasn't sure if the boy even knew he was 100 meters in the air. That was not good.

She grabbed a broom from on of the first years and quickly flew up to the boy. Just in time to watch him fall. If given the time she would have laughed at the helplessness of even teaching first years how to fly. Why was this even a thing? It was a terrible idea. Just horrendous.

She sped towards the falling child and managed to snag him before he got too far and flew him to the ground.

"You need to be more careful young man," she scolded as soon as he was safely on the ground. "You could have been seriously injured. I told you to only go a few feet. That was a lot more than a few feet. Just what were you thinking?" her tirade faded as she saw the boy not paying attention to a word she was saying. Her eyes flickered to the boy's wrist and, sure enough, there was the medical bracelet. No wonder this child was the one who went sailing off, this was Harry.

With a sigh she gave up, telling him to be more careful before tending to the rest of the class. Thankfully the rest of the class passed without mishaps, and for the record only two concussions did not count as misshapes. She watched as the kids trudged back to the castle, sweaty and dirty, the lot of them. A faint stirring of pride bloomed in her chest at the fact that no one was sent to the hospital wing.

She turned back to the field, repositioning the brooms for the next class, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. God, Hufflepuffs on brooms…

She should have taken that reffing job for the Chudley Cannons.

Two red headed boys grinned deviously as they stood over the bed of a certain blonde lion. Fred waved an arm over the bed as an invitation for George to go the honours. George, always the gentleman, gave a bow of thanks before placing a dissolving strip in the blonde's slightly ajar mouth. With shared smirks the twins broke out into song.

"WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,"

Logan bolted from bed, heart racing, and fell to the floor, hitting his elbow and hip painfully. "The hell…?" he muttered as he stood, rubbing his injuries.

"Merry Christmas!"

"And a Happy New Years!"

Logan gave a sigh of defeat and tried to crawl back into bed. It was early and he was tired and he was going to sleep.

"Oh no you aren't," Fred said, dragging his friend from bed.

"It's Christmas mate, and you know what that means." George chimed in, swinging an arm over Logan's neck.

"PRESENT TIME!" the twins yelled, earning a groan from Logan.

The twins dragged Logan over to the pile of present they had moved from the beds to under a tree they had decorated. It was a rather grand little tree seeing as how they had no real decorations. There was nothing wrong with multi coloured socks being used as Christmas ornaments.

"Open this one first," the twins commanded, thrusting a brightly wrapped package into Logan's hands. With a yawn Logan took the present and began unwrapping it, eyes lighting up as he saw a giant box of sugar quills. He loved this things.

"Thanks guys!" he began but stopped as his voice lilted oddly. He tried again only to get the same musical tone. With a frown he tried to say something else but sang it instead, the words falling in line to the beat of a Christmas song. He turned to the twins to ask them if they knew what had happened and was greeted with matching devilish grins.

"You bloody gits!" he sang, lunging at them.

The twins broke into laughter as Logan cussed them out to the tune of 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer". After a quick wrestling match, where the twins demonstrated that two is really better than one, the three went back to opening their presents. Logan refused to talk for the rest of the morning, communicating in dirty looks and obscene gestures that cracked the twins up every time.

They didn't leave the tower till dinner, spending the day in the comfort of the tower, eating enough sugary sweets to kill a person. At one point the twins tried to talk Logan into a snowball fight but a few cuffs to the head dissuaded them; Logan didn't want the rest of the school to know about his musical inclination.

The Christmas Feast was a magical affair, with the hall looking like a fairy tale. Due to the small amount of people staying for Christmas there was only one table in use with barely twenty people there. Logan sat next to his brother, giving him his present (a book on magical creatures and the myths surrounding them). Harry looked up at him with beaming eyes and a small smile. Logan couldn't resist the urge to pull him into a hug. Though he had only know his brother for a few short months he already loved him. He wondered why their mum had left him at Aunt Petunia's…

Harry gave him a necklace with a single stone hanging from a silver chain. The stone was the colour of the night sky, not quite black but not quite light enough to call it violet. Logan quickly placed it around his neck, slipping the stone underneath his shirt so it rested on his chest.

"Thank you," he sang softly to the tune of Silent Night. The twins began howling and a few of the other occupants of the table chuckled. Even Harry gave a slightly laugh that made Logan grin, even though it was at his expense.

All in all that Christmas was remembered as one of Logan's favorites. It was surprising really, he had always celebrated Christmas with his mum but she had been called out of the country on work. It was the first Christmas he had celebrated 'alone' and even though he had been enchanted to sound like an idiot all day, teased and harassed by the twins, and forced to play enough exploding snaps to kill a man he also got to sit around a crappily but lovingly decorated tree to open presents, eat way too many sweets, and, most importantly, see his brother smile for the first time in months. Overall it was a nice Christmas. With a sleepy grin Logan rolled over and fell asleep.

Professor Sprout watched as the students collected pus from the Nicroka Cumbalata. While the pus was a pain to get, the Nicroka Cumbalata did not like to be manhandled, it was mighty useful, especially in Potions. She hoped the kids managed to collect enough for Professor Snape, he was planning on letting the older years use the pus to make the Draught of Healing Peace, a potion that could cure nearly all physical ails. It was a very difficult potion and so far only one seventh year has been able to make it correctly. Snape still talked about her to this day, little miss Cardew. The child had been such a sweet one. Too bad her charms skills were horrific.

"Careful Zabini," she warned as the child was nearly stuck with thorns. " Keep an eye out for it's tendrils. Sharp little bastards they are."

She pretended not to hear Zabini curse as one of the tendril's cut him. Poor child had to pay attention.

Several other students were having issues with trying to gather the sap and not getting maimed. It was rather silly to watch, as long as they didn't actually get hurt. She helped as much as she could, not wanting anyone to get more than a couple minor scraps.

She looked over to Harry, whom she feared would be for the worse seeing his inability to focus. She was mildly surprised to see him faring better than most of the students. He already had three jars filled and was working on a fourth, three more than anyone else in the class. His Nicroka Cumbalata was relatively calm, only lashing out occasionally. It looked as though the boy was… crooning? to the plant. Well, whatever the boy was doing it was working.

Harry was a natural talent when it came to plants as she had found out. She wondered if she could get Neville and him to work together some time. They would be a great pair for helping out with some of the more difficult plants. Maybe she could get one of them transferred. That meant talking to Severus and Minerva. She pulled a face at the thought of trying to get them to agree to place on their own into the enemy's house. That would be the day. Hufflepuffs were so much simpler. None of that stupid rivalry stuff.

A sudden yelp broke her from her train of thought and she rushed into action. Poor Zabini, she told him to watch out for the tendrils.

The stars have always held allure to Professor Sinistra. It was quite funny, seeing how her parents had named her Aurora. When she was a young child she would climb up on the roof and watch the stars for hours, sometimes staying there all night. She fondly remembered waking up covered in dew just in time to see the last of the stars fade from sight as the sun spilt over the horizon. By the time she was eight she already knew the patterns of the stars and their rotation in the night sky, though she didn't learn the names and constellations until she was thirteen. She bought her first telescope when she was seventeen and from there had decided to dedicate her life to the stars. For several years she had travelled with centaurs, the one's in France being far more accepting of humans than the England ones. She never could pick up on the art of foretelling the future from the stars but she did learn a great deal about them and how the stars interacted with the world and how the rotation of planets affected this planet. It was fascinating to think that the retrograde motion of Mars over the British Isle could lead to the influx of children born with magical abilities or that Halley's comet when positioned over Japan would decrease the dementor population by half due to the loss of fertile breeding grounds because human depression caused by the waves of icy magic radiating off of the comet. If only children held the same spark of interest she had in the stars it would make her class so much easier. But alas, they didn't and all she could do was stare in sorrow at the class of first years trying to bullshit their way to an O (or at least an A, they weren't that picky).

"Now everyone, if you turn your telescopes to Venus you'll see an eruption occurring due to an influx of heat and gas. Can anyone tell me how it would affect the fairy's habitat?" her question was met with blank stares and her request by telescopes swinging every which way in the vague hopes of finding Venus. She sighed in a helpless despair. She should have stayed with the centaurs.

Looking over the class she decided to go help them find Venus.

"Harry, you're looking in the wrong direction, Vernus is just over the Forbidden Forest currently." she gently corrected, the fifth student so far.

Harry didn't move his telescope, though he did adjust the focus. She watched him. He obviously looking at something. She followed his gaze to a cluster of stars.

"Why are you looking at Draco?" she asked staring up at the stars that loosely resembled the mighty dragon Draco.

"It's Thuban," Harry said. "It's very dim,"

She looked at him in surprise. Most children barely knew what end of the telescope to look in, much less constellations and specific stars.

"Is there something wrong about that?" she asked, curious.

"No," Harry said at length. "It's troubling though." There was a pause and she thought he was finished but as she moved to leave he spoke again. "The eruption in Venus is currently causing a rapid building and reinforcing of fairy habitats because their close connection to planet they fear that it's an omen of death and that they must be prepared."

A smile stole over her feature. "You're right," Never had she had a student who actually knew what they were talking about and in such detail.

Harry nodded as though he already knew and turned his telescope back to Draco. Sinistra continued helping the rest of the class with a spring in her step. It wasn't every night she met a student that knew the tales of the stars.

Harry stared at the countryside passing by. In a few short hours he was going to be on his way back to the Dursley's. Lily had said it was necessary for certain protections to work. Logan had tried to fight her, saying that Harry would be plenty protected with them, but Lily had refused, instead promising that they would get Harry on his birthday. That would give the protective magic enough time to renew itself and allow for a nice birthday surprise. Logan was still pretty pissed at Lily, not wanting Harry to go back to that house, but nothing he said made Lily change her mind.

Harry didn't know how he felt going to back to the Dursley's. There was a faint twinge of fear but he didn't know why. Whenever he thought too hard about the Dursley's a migraine always bloomed as a result. He guess he didn't mind too much. He didn't know Lily all too much, even though she was his mother, and while he would miss Logan he would see his brother soon enough. Besides Logan had promised to write to him at least once a week and send a whole bunch of sweets.

"Hey Harry," an arm grabbed him around the neck, pulling him into a chest. "You wanna play chess?"

Harry looked up at his brother, who he was currently squished against, and nodded. He wasn't good at a lot of games, mostly because he would forget he was playing something. Also, no one ever wanted to play with him. People had kinda forgotten he existed, probably because he was too out of it to ever do anything. One game he was good at was chess. When his brother found this out sometime in April they had played a game together at least once every two weeks. Of course, once he had learnt the rules of the game, he had become the undefeated champion.

"You're taking on Harry again, mate?" George asked, single eyebrow raised.

"You're gonna lose again," Fred chimed in.

"Hush you two," Logan said. "I will win this time. Besides, aren't you supposed to support me?"

"Nah," Fred replied.

"Too much of a hassle," George added.

"If we did we would be lying to you,"

"And we would never lie to our best friend,"

Logan growled and shoved at the twins, trying not to laugh. Harry set up the board while the three bickered. It seemed as though those three were always fighting. Sometimes he had to wonder how they were friends. Of course, he had no friends so yeah…

"You ready to be beat?" Logan demanded cockily, distracting Harry from his depressing thoughts. He shook his head and gestured for Logan to begin.

They played five rounds of chess, Logan demanding a rematch every time he was beat, claiming that he would win _this_ time. The twins cheered Harry on, giving a commentary that would be Lee to shame. By the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station Logan was thoroughly beat and the twins were joking about how how Harry, just a first year, had defeated the all-powerful Boy Who Lived. Logan kept hissing violent threats at them, trying to conceal his language. He didn't want Harry picking up any bad words from him.

They grabbed their stuff, Logan helping Harry with his, and hurried off the train, hoping to escape the crowds. Lily was waiting by the entrance. She broke out into a smile upon seeing Logan and pulled him into a hug that he fought to escape.

"Mum," he whined, "Everyone can see you,"

Lily laughed, ruffling her kid's hair. "Sorry sweetie, I just haven't seen you in so long. I couldn't help myself." she finally turned to Harry. "Hello Harry, nice to see you too."

"Hi mother," he replied, trying to smile but unable to. While the extreme side effects of the medication had faded for the most part it still left him unfocused and apathetic, plus his magic sluggish and weak. It was much better than the beginning of the year though, when at times he didn't even know where he was or how he got there or what he was doing. It was as though he was traveling in a fog that would occasionally lift to reveal the real world.

Lily didn't seem offended by the lack of affection from her other son and led the two of them from the station, as eager as them to avoid the rush. They were going to take a taxi to the Dursley's to drop Harry off before Lily and Logan went to their place. Harry didn't remember much about that place, being far too drugged to pay any attention.

The ride to the Dursley's was uneventful. Logan kept up a pretty constant stream of chatter sometimes pulling Harry into the conversation. Lily paid enough attention so her kid wouldn't feel ignored. Harry stared out the window, trying to pay attention to Logan's chatter in an attempt to block the fear growing in his stomach. He felt sick, as though he was going to throw up. The closer they drove to the Dursley's the more the fear grew. By the time they pulled up the number 4 Privet Drive Harry was slightly shaking and his stomach was rebelling. Logan noticed and pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"Don't worry Harry, we'll come back for you soon, okay." Logan looked into Harry's green eyes. "Everything will be fine, I promise. I'll write all the time and if you ever need anything just let me know and I'll sent it. I'll see if I can talk mum into getting you earlier. Till then just hang on." he pulled his brother close, sad knowing this was the last time he'd see him for a while. "Everything's going to be fine. Promise."

Harry gave Logan a small smile that melted the oldest boy heart. He didn't want his younger brother to go back to that horrid house. He still remembered last time they had been there. How small Harry's 'room' was and how after uncle Vernon had called him he had come back with a cut and bruises. While he didn't want to think anything bad was happening to Harry at their relatives house he didn't know for sure and Harry seemed so scared and…

His thoughts trailed off as he found himself near tears. He forced them away, knowing he had to be strong for Harry, and pulled the boy tight once more, haunted by the irrational fear this would be the last time he would see him.

He helped Harry with his things and left him at the door (Harry's request). Lily called a goodbye to Harry that he weakly returned. Logan watched Harry as they drove away, continuing to stare at the place where he had been long after the small boy had faded from sight. The fear that he wouldn't see Harry again came back and he bit his lip. _Please be alright…_

Harry sat in his cupboard, wondering why he had been so scared to come back here. Nothing was wrong. Petunia had given him a nod of greeting and told him to make quiche tonight. Dudley was grunted in surprise before turning back to his shows. Uncle Vernon wasn't home yet. After placing all his things under his bed, the only place where there was room for them, he headed towards the kitchen, grabbing an apron.

The quiches were easy to make, barely taking an hour. While they were baking he made a salad and a strawberry whipped creme for dessert. He had just taken the quiches out of the oven when the front door opened. He froze as the smell of alcohol wafted into the room, Uncle in tow. Uncle seemed surprised to see him, eyes widening before a smile twisted his figures.

"Well, well, well, looks like the freak is back."

Harry remembered why he had been scared.

******Chapter End

Did I just put an entire year into one chapter? Fuck yeah I did! So, I know shit is moving fast but fret not, stuff is going to start slowing down and some stuff is going to be explained. I have this wonderful, grand ol' plan for this but it's gonna take some time and effort so just hang in there. For those reading this, sweet, you're awesome. I hope you're enjoying it so far.

Now, for those of you wondering about the whole Philosopher Stone fiasco, that didn't happen in this one. I'm sticking very loosely to the cannon, like, nearly none at all. I will explained what happened with the stone next chapter but long story short Logan heard about it, researched it a bit with the twins, and told the professors who secured the stone and later destroyed it and while there's suspicion about Voldie calling the shots there was no confirmation.

If you have any additional questions feel free to ask. I try to respond to everyone. Also, I'm still desperate for a beta and I have no idea how to get one on this site. If you wanna beta or tell me how to get a beta please inform me. If you have anything you want to see in this story or any ideas for it just say so, I might be able to work it in ^^

Have a good night *cough cough* morning... (it's 1:39 am, just for the info)


	5. Confessions and White Lies

"I don't know what to do," Lily confessed, burying her face in her hands.

It felt as though her world was falling apart. She hated feeling this weak and helpless, so out of control. Ever since James died, she had fought to become the loving mother and fierce protector Logan needed. After James, she refused to let anything happen to Logan. Then that letter came, saying she had to take Harry back. She didn't think it would be so bad, so difficult, but it was.

"There, there," Dumbledore spoke in the calm, soothing voice he had.

Lily sucked in a shuddering breath, already feeling better as Dumbledore laid a hand on her arm.

"You've done all you could. I'll do what I can when he's here. Till he comes back to school, he needs to stay with you though."

Lily nodded, swallowing hard. "I know," she said in a choked voice. "It's just hard. Especially since I'm aware what's happening to him and I do want to help him but at the same time…"

Tears blurred her vision and she sniffled, gratefully accepting the handkerchief Dumbledore offered. She wiped her tears and nose, promising herself not to fall apart again.

"Everything is going to be fine," Dumbledore soothed. "Once school starts, I'll have more time to deal with him. Until then just keep going on as normal and if needed my office door is always open."

Lily nodded, collecting herself. She was ashamed she had fallen apart, especially over something like this. She should be stronger than this, she was a soldier in the First War for Heaven's sake.

They exchanged farewells and Lily strode through the castle with ease, remembering the halls even after all this time. She played with the thought of visiting Severus, she hadn't seen him in years. As children they had been best friends, she didn't know if they still were after the war.

With a sad grin, she decided to visit him some other time. She didn't know if she could handle being rejected by Sevy, they had been so close. It was better to have hope in a fairytale than having it shattered, right?

She hurried to Homestead, ducking into Honeydukes for some sweets before apparating to number 4 Privet Drive. The place looked much as it did last time, pristine and perfect. With a roll of her eyes, she knocked on the door.

This time it was Harry who answered the door. She plastered on a large smile. "Hey, Harry! How have you been?"

The boy just looked down before opening the door wider so she could enter. He showed her to the sitting room and left, presumably to get Petunia. Sure enough, Petunia strode in, looking like she had just sucked a lemon.

"Harry, how about you grab your things while I talk with your aunt?" Lily called. Harry nodded and quickly left the room.

Lily had fun jesting with Petunia, she always loved riling her sister up, as she waited for Harry. She asked about Dudley and Petunia asked about Logan and they made small talk interspersed with concealed threats. How fun family time was. When Harry came back with his trunk, she was more than ready to leave. After biding her sister a coyly sweet farewell she took Harry's things and led him back to her house.

"Harry!" Logan shouted in excitement as he saw his brother standing in the doorway. He quickly dissolved into a bout of coughs as the shout aggravated his throat. He looked up to see Harry standing at the side of his bed, concerned in his green eyes.

"I'm fine Harry, just a cold."

Visible relief flooded Harry's eyes and Logan smiled, glad that his brother was showing so much emotion. He motioned for Harry to sit on the bed with him and hauled himself into a sitting position.

"Like the books?" Logan asked, referring to the books Harry had asked him to send over the summer. Harry's brows furrowed momentarily before understanding dawned.

"Yes," Harry replied. "They were amazing. Thank you so much. It must have been hard finding them."

Logan shrugged it off. It had been a bit difficult trying to find Muggle literature, especially since he had only been to Muggle London once, but Lily had helped him find a good bookstore and they had gotten all of Harry's books and sent it to him.

Logan had wanted to send an owl, but Lily had dissuaded him, telling him that the postal service would be better and showed him the wonders of getting a P.O. Box and how to send mail. It had been a fascinating day he loved the thrill of opening that little box and seeing that Harry had written him back. He couldn't wait to tell the twins dad about it, he loved that sort of stuff.

"It was no problem," he said. "Anything for my lil bro,"

Harry smiled softly, seeming to be at a loss for words. Logan didn't mind, he had learned very quickly that Harry didn't speak much.

"Why were you looking into Muggle books?" he asked, something he had been curious about. Even Arthur Weasley, the most Muggle obsessed wizard he knew, didn't read Muggle literature.

"It's not so much about the Muggle aspect. They're just good books," Harry explained.

"What are they about?" Logan asked.

This was the line of conversation the boys exchanged for the next hour. Harry would explain a book and Logan would ask questions, both puzzled and excited at the ideas Harry offered. At some point, Harry began discussing literary merit and motifs and themes and Logan had been lost. It had taken some time to explain the basics of literature to Logan.

It was odd, Harry thought, how wizards have close to no sense of literature and art. Most of their books are reference books or about history. The few works of fiction they have are children stories.

Lily interrupted the two with the promise of dinner. Since Logan was still sick, they ate in his room, a simple meal of tomato basil primavera and a roasted garlic bread. Harry enjoyed the meal immensely, remaking on the tasteful use of rosemary and red onion in the bread.

Lily smiled and thanked him kindly, glad someone noticed the little things. Logan, on the other hand, was a human vacuum, even with his cold. When dinner was over Lily told Logan to rest so he would get better sooner. She had given Harry the option to do what he wished, but he chose to help her in the kitchen.

Harry was quiet as he helped her, every so often asking where something went or how she wanted something cleaned. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was such a sweet boy, so small and gentle. It was times like these that she could forget the past, of what happened. She wished she could forget and be the mother Harry deserved, but she couldn't, not after that night.

She took a deep breath to stop the rising despair that always accompanied these thoughts. She couldn't break down yet. There was still a kitchen to clean and a house to pick up. She could cry later.

"Excuse me?" a timid voice asked. Lily looked up, realizing she had fallen still in her internal struggle for control. She turned around, facing Harry as she wiped her hands with a wash cloth.

"Yes love?" she asked.

Harry toed the ground for a moment before looking up, the fear of being rejected in his eyes as he blurted out his question. "Can I make something for Logan tomorrow?"

"Hmm?" Lilly hummed in confusion. It was such an odd request for a child to make. She wondered if she had heard him right.

"I wanted to make something for Logan since it's his birthday tomorrow." Harry's voice faded into a murmur.

Lily smiled at how adorable the child was, knowing this was just another thing she was going to hate herself for later.

"Of course, though why don't you wait for this weekend. I was planning on holding a surprise party for the two of you since your birthdays are so close together though I guess it's not a surprise anymore." Lily chuckled softly. "You can help me with the baking if you want."

Harry smiled happily. "Thank you, ma'am, I would.

Lily felt her composure dropping as she looked into those eyes that looked like her own. If only he could be like this all the time. She turned back around, focusing only on the dishes. Once the kitchen was clean Harry bid her goodnight and disappeared into the guest bedroom Lily had given him.

Lily sighed deeply and plopped down on the couch, emotionally exhausted. With a groan, she heaved herself to her feet and began cleaning up the mess that living with a messy thirteen-year-old left. As she stared at the socks hanging from the light fixture she just had to wonder if Logan did this on purpose.

She finished picking up and brewed herself a cuppa to sip as she bathed. The warm water relaxed her tense muscles and helped wash away the tense emotions of the day. Only one month till they go to school, she told herself as she dipped lower into the water, one more month.

The joined birthday party went off without a hitch, for the most part. Things always got messed up when the twins were involved, but since it only involved a parakeet and a singing balloon the party was chalked up as a success.

Logan had been thrilled, loving surprise parties. He didn't mind that he was sharing the party with Harry, in fact, it made it even more fun! He forced Harry to do all the birthday party things with him, the twins acting as unhelpful supporters. Harry was slightly overwhelmed, but Logan was always there to calm him down and explain everything.

He helped make the giant cake for Logan and Logan loved it, eating several pieces while the twins teased he was going to get fat. The party didn't wind down till late the night, the twins deciding to sleep over and ended with the three-fourth years passed out in the living room.

Harry was the lucky survivor who managed to make it back to his room to sleep. He still was uncomfortable sleeping in the bed, but the closet had plenty of room so he didn't mind. Everyone slept of sweet things and singing balloons that night.

Logan squirmed in discomfort as cameras flashed wildly to capture that perfect picture of Lockhart and the Boy Who Lived that would make the front page. Lockhart basically had Logan in a neck hold and it took several minutes before he was able to escape to the back of the shop where his brother was.

"That was hell," he growled, rubbing his neck. He hated the press, vultures, the lot them.

"I'm sorry," Harry said.

Logan just waved him off. "Not your fault. I can't believe he's going to be a teacher this year. God, we're screwed." he rubbed a hand over his face at the thought of putting up with that man all year long. "You got your books?"

Harry nodded and they searched the shop for a certain red haired family they had came shopping with. Harry had been surprised to meet the Weasleys. They were so loud and huggy. It was a far cry from what he was used to.

Mrs. Weasley had insisted on forcing him to eat everything she had given him along with little treats she kept procuring from seemingly nowhere. Percy was a bit uptight but nice. Ron was in his year but he never really paid attention to the other boy. He had greeted him but had gotten a snide remark about snakes that had earned him a whack from Mrs. Weasley. Ginny was quiet, not saying a word. Apparently there were two others who had already left him.

Mr. Weasley was an eccentric man who kept trying to secret him away to interrogate him on how Muggle machinery worked. For the most part, Harry had stayed close to his brother, unsure of what to do.

They managed to find the redheads with relative ease, with how many there were and the shocking colour of their hair they were hard to miss. Mrs. Weasley was fretting over Ginny and the second-hand books they were forced to get. Apparently only Mr. Weasley worked and his job didn't pay as well as they wished, especially with so many kids.

Harry, growing disinterested, pulled a book from his bag. It was one of the Muggle ones Logan had sent him over the summer, "Into the Wild," and his favorite so far. He was soon lost in the tale of Chris McCandless and his journey across America.

He was so engrossed in his novel he didn't realize that Mr. Weasley had begun a fight in the bookstore until his book was jostle. Blinking owlishly he looked up to see two grown men behaving like schoolboys as they fought, throwing petty insults at one another.

Ron was cheering for his dad. The other man was beautiful, with pure blonde hair and piercing eyes. He looked around and saw Draco Malfoy and a woman who he imagined to be his mother. That probably meant the man was his father.

Draco chose that moment to sneer at the Weasley rabble only to notice a certain black haired boy standing with the Boy Who Lived. He remembered that boy, from last year. He had been going on about stars or something like that. The boy stared back at him with curious eyes before looking away, snatching a book from the ground and began to ready again.

It wasn't a school book, or any book he had ever seen. An unwanted urge of curiosity arose, but he squashed back down. It was just a silly book. A silly book so engrossing that it led the boy to ignore the fight happening right under his nose. He sighed, really hoping this wouldn't be one of those little questions that would haunt him for the rest of his life in the moments between sleep and awake where those stupid questions resided.

Harry looked up once more from his book as he looked at Draco. Draco had gotten thinner, in an unhealthy manner, the cheekbones far too prominent, jaw too sharp. Even though Draco hadn't hit puberty yet, he had lost all baby fat and looked a bit sickly.

Harry worried that his parents might be starving him, but the protective hand Draco's mother had on him spoke of nothing but good intent. He shook his head and pushed the matter from his mind. It was silly to speculate on things he would never know. Besides, this book was amazing.

They managed to get kicked out of the bookstore due to the fiasco and Arthur had a black eye, but the Weasley's thought it was a great story of triumphant over the evil Malfoy's.

When asked what Harry thought he had pointed out that it was moronic that grown men were acting like children and couldn't get over schoolboy rivalry. They should know better and set a good example for their children. Mrs. Weasley had agreed with him while Ron hissed insults about him being a snake sympathizing with the enemy. Harry had brushed this off and returned to his book.

Some time later a girl named Hermione had shown up. She had a tentative friendship with Ron but rebuked him quite often. At some point, she had struck up a conversation with Harry and they had discussed the themes and motifs in "East of Eden" and the impact it had on its release.

It was the first true conversation with someone his age that wasn't his brother that he had ever had and he loved it. Hermione promised to discuss the words of John Steinbeck more in depth when school began. For the first time, Harry actually looked forward to something.

Everyone was knackered when they went home after the eventful day. Logan dropped straight off as he reached his bed while Harry stayed up to put his things away and decided to finish his book. Just before he went to bed, he looked up at the calendar on the wall and smile. Only twelve more days till school began.

******Chapter End

Thank you sooo much Branchwraith who has decided to be my beta! She's da best.

So, while this chapter is hella confusing shit will slow down soon (like the slow mo before it hits the fan). There's quite a lot that happens in year two which I'm super excited to write about. Thank you so much for all your awesome comment! It means a wottle.

Hope you liked it1 I'll post another chappy soon.


	6. A Scaly Friend

Harry looked up from the book he had been reading. The dark world of _1984_ didn't seem to fit into the serene mood of the day. He looked around at the pisctueques backyard he had fled to when Logan had tried to make him watch another romantic comedy; three was quite enough for one day in his opinion. Lily had been fine with him going to the backyard as long as he didn't wander too far. At first he had been curious about what she meant but he understood now.

The backyard was immense. There was a Quidditch pitch off to the left where Logan practiced, he was a chaser on the Gryffindor team. To the right there was a forest of light, very different from the dark of the Forbidden forest. Just outside the door, back a couple hundred yards and bordering the forest, was pond that Harry not found himself laying on the banks of. The sun warmed his skin, chasing away a chill he didn't realize he felt, and droplets of sweat threatened to run down his face and back.

He turned his head to watch the water lazily lap at the shore, the cattails swaying with the motion. Dragonflies flitted between the bushy plants and the water while butterflies floated along with ease. Harry yawned, unable to help the drowse that came with the lazy afternoon and stretched, arms above his head, toes curling with the motion. He settled back into a comfortable position and entertained the idea of a nap. He still had quite sometime before dinner and the movie was bound to last for the next two hours is not more. He looked back to the house, pondering this dilemma, when a sleek snake of green and silver flit across his field of vision. He watched with dazed curiosity as the snake weaved through the grass.

The snake was beautiful, with slightly raised scales that looked more than ready to defend. The dark green scales contrasted with the silver and the sun glinting on them gave them an ethereal glow. The grass careful caressed the snake as she slithered past, as though in a dance. Her black tongue flicked out as she felt the air. There was a child of magic nearby and a powerful at that. His magic was odd though, not like the abused pups of others magic two-legs, his magic was alive, though subdued. It was a delightful change. With a sudden change of mind she swirled gracefully around and headed towards the boy.

It took Harry a moment to realize the snake was heading towards him. He froze, not knowing if it was poisonous or not. He thought about calling for his brother but didn't know how the snake would react. If she was just passing by him then he didn't want to do anything to provoke an attack. He decided to do nothing and lay still, holding his breath as he watched the snake's progression.

 _Hello,_ the snake greeted as she came near, stopping by his face. Harry gasped, only to realize his lungs could not hold that much air and rolled onto his side coughing. When he regained his breath the snake was still watching him with black eyes that almost looked...curious.

He took a tentative breath and bit his lip, wondering if he should respond. Wondering if he had even heard the snake in the first place or if the heat had gotten to him. Adrenaline pumped through his system and for the first time in over a year he actually felt alive.

 _A bit slow, aren't you,_ the snake hissed. _Too bad, I was hoping you would be different. Come one child, speak._

The sharp command prompted Harry, "Hello," he said, voice barely a whisper.

The snake hissed happily and it's tail gave a twirl. _Very good child, I knew I was right about you. What is your name?_

Harry bit his lip and looked around, wondering if he was truly talking to a snake. Now that his adrenaline was fading the world had began to grow fuzzy at the edges and he would not be surprised if this was an illusion produced by the heat and medication. The snake was still waiting though and Harry decided to answer.

"Harry," he said. He slowly moved until he was in a sitting position and the snake followed so they could maintain eye contact.

 _Harry?_ the snake said, _not a very practical name and a bit dull if I'm honest, but it will do._

Harry just nodded, unsure of what to do. What did one do when confronted with a snake? The situation reminded him slightly of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland._ She had often been thrust into situations that made no sense and tried to make the most of them. A stray thought wondered if the twins had slipped him something, even though he had not seen them since their trip to Diagon Alley. Whatever the reason he decided to make the best of the odd situation, sure it would clear itself up later.

"What's your name?" he asked, striving for some sense of normality.

 _Toyotama-hime,_ the snake replied, _named after the goddess Otohime_

Harry nodded at this information. Apparently the snake was a she. Looking closely at her he realized that she was a very pretty snake and told her so.

 _Why thank you,_ she replied, without a hint of modesty, before blooming into the bright colours of the sea. Harry gasped in shock, eyes widening at the sight. _I'm traditionally a water snake,_ she explained, _hues of green just help when one wants to go somewhere without being pestered._

Harry nodded, still in shock. Toyotama-hime seemed pleased by this reaction and moved slightly so her scales rippled, looking like the soft rolls of waves across the ocean. She soon grew tired of the child's gaping.

 _Do you have any food?_ she had missed her normal meal due to her morning travels.

Harry nodded again, seemingly dumb, before remembering himself and shaking his head. "Yeah, it's in the house though. Is there anything in particular you want?"

 _I'll come with you and see what delicacies you have._ Toyotama-hime slithered over to him and onto his leg. He tensed, scared at the sudden motion, before stilling, not wanting to give her a reason to bit him. She seemed to sense this and responded playfully. _Fret you not child, I don't bite. Much_. Harry laughed slightly at the snakes sense of humor. Cautiously he raised a hand to skim over her scales. She gave a hiss of pleasure that encouraged him to keep stroking her as he stood. Toyotama-hime quickly readjusted her weight to the new position and curled happily around his forearm.

The television was still blaring in the living room. Due to Lily's muggle roots she had tried to make sure Logan had experiences of both worlds. Hence the many odd muggle items in the house, including a dishwasher.

Harry made his way to the kitchen, mindful of those watching the movie. He hesitated slightly before rifling through the fridge. Even though Lily had told him he was free to take anything from the kitchen whenever he wanted he was always fearful whenever he took food for him to eat. The fear never came when he took things to make for Lily and Logan, only when he took them for himself. He knew it was an irrational fear seeing as how Lily nor Logan had ever gotten even slightly crossed at him for doing so but he preferred not to all the same.

"See anything you like?" he whispered softly to Toyotama-hime. She leisurely made her way down his arm and peered into the fridge. She made a small sound of what sounded like snakey contemplation, if there was such a thing, before motioning towards the lychee.

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. He would have thought she would have gone for one of the several slabs of meat or some eggs.

 _I rather like lychees. They were common from where I came, not so here,_ Toyotama-hime said. _Could you slice it up for me? I don't like to eat large hunks of food, very uncivilized._

"Sure," Harry set to work on shredding the odd fruit. It was one he had used several times in baking, though he was the only one who ever ate it by itself. "Where are you from?"

 _Japan,_ she said it as if it were the most elementary thing in the world. She snagged a piece of the fruit and swallowed it quickly with a pleased hissed. _I was brought here by other two-legged men. They were mean and never gave me anything good to eat. They tried to sell me off but I escaped, after biting a few of them of course._

Harry felt saddened by her tale but it did remind him of something he should ask. "Are you poisonous?"

 _When I want to be,_ she ate more of the fruit as Harry finished. _By the way, there's a two-legged watching us._

Harry turned, mildly surprised to see Logan there with an empty bowl. He looked back at Toyotama-hime, wondering how he should introduce her. Toyotama-hime took the decision from him as she slithered onto his shoulder and hissed.

 _He's scared, but he's also very strong,_ she warned him, coiling defensively. Harry reached up to pet her scales, grabbing another piece of lychee to calm her.

"That's my brother," he explained. "He's probably just scared by seeing a snake in the kitchen,"

Logan gasped as he watched his brother hiss at the snake on his shoulder. He didn't know Harry was a parseltongue. And besides that the snake currently on his brother was an Ikuchi, a highly poisonous snake known for their animosity towards wizards, killing as many as two hundred in one year. Thanks to their reclusive nature not many ran into them but only a handful of those who have lived to tell the tale. He watched Harry with cold eyes, trying to figure out the best way to get his brother away from the snake without either of them getting bitten. Judging from the tail wrapped around his brother's neck it was not going to be easy.

"Harry?" he called, keeping his voice calm. "Is she threatening any harm?"

Harry looked at him oddly before shaking his head. "No, she was just hungry and wanted something to eat. She was a bit startled when you came but she's fine now."

That was the longest sentence he had heard Harry say in a while, and without prompting too. He eyed the snake, wondering what its intentions were. There was no reason that an Ikuchi, native only to Japan, would be in England and in contact with one of the few parseltongues still existing. Ikuchis were known to have intelligence rivaling that of wizards, though not as profound as centaurs.

"Logan?" he refocused at his name, meeting Harry's worried eyes. "Is everything alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah, everything is going to be okay, I promise Harry," If anything Harry looked even more confused by his words.

 _He's scared,_ Toyotama-hime hissed to Harry. _I can feel it in his magic. He's agitated and very protective over his nestling._

Harry looked at her in question, momentarily forgetting Logan. "Nestling?"

Toyotama-hime sighed and began to explain as though explaining to a small child. _Nestling are those who are protected by the leaders of the nest. That boy has claimed you as his nestling. Don't you know anything you silly child?_

Harry blinked, surprised by this and looked back to Logan, realizing the tense shoulders and frown.

"Logan, it's alright. She's not going to hurt us," he said.

"That snake is highly venomous." Logan warned. "With a quick temper."

"It's alright," Harry repeated. "She won't hurt us." Harry took a step towards Logan, who backed away, before holding out his hand. "Come here,"

Logan bit his lip, eyes shifting as he tried to decide. He then screwed up his courage and walked towards Harry, he wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing, taking small steps as to not frighten the snake. Harry gently grasped his hand when he came into reach and lifted it towards the snake. He fought the instinct to grab his hand back and away from the snake. The snake seemed to taunt him, tongue flicking out several times, before rubbing her scales gently across his hands. She felt of the silkiness of a razor and he knew without a doubt that she could kill him with those alone. He pet her softly, which seemed to please her as she curled around Harry's neck contently, allowing Logan to take his hand back.

"See," Harry said softly. "She's really a sweetheart." he grabbed another piece of fruit for Toyotama-hime, who ate it happily.

"What's her name?" Logan asked, slightly breathless from the fear and the awe of touching such a deadly and gorgeous creature.

"Toyotama-hime," Harry replied.

Logan nodded before blurting out, "You're a parseltongue?"

"A what?" Harry asked, his eyes beginning to get a far off look. Logan hide a sigh, knowing Harry would soon be lost to the medication. The side effects of it seemed to come and go at random. Thankfully it was happening less often and for shorter amounts of time. He still remembered when his brother would be lost for weeks in a medicated haze.

He shrugged off the dark thoughts that came with those memories and focused on answering his brother questions. "A parseltongue is a wizard who can talk to snakes. It's a very rare gift, one that Salazar Slytherin himself had." he thought about informing his brother that it was considered a dark gift but decided against it, not wanting to scare his brother. His brother nodded at the new information.

"But I haven't talking to her in another language." Harry said. "I've just managed to understand her."

Logan shook his head. "No Harry, you've been hissing at her. It hasn't been English. And she's been hissing back."

"Oh," Harry said, hand slowly stroking Toyotama-hime.

Logan watched his brother, knowing that he was already gone into the fog, as he had so coined the term. With a sigh he suggested that Harry could come finish the movie with him and mum. Harry predictably declined, muttering something about a book and Big Brother waiting for him before disappearing into the backyard. He shook his head this time with a fond smile, then grabbed some more popcorn and headed towards the living room to explain to Lily what had happened and finish the rest of his movie.

The few remaining days till school began passed quickly with Toyotama-hime to talk to. At first she had been set on going home but upon finding the long, long distance she had to travel decided to stay with him for a while. Harry had been more than happy to oblige, liking his new scaly friend. Lily had been wary at first and didn't like being in the room with her but tolerated the snake. After the first day Logan had no issue with Toyotama-hime and often pet her when given the chance. At first she had been opposed to the frequent contact with the other boy and even threatened to bite him a couple of times (which Harry had given her a stern telling to about) but in the end she never could say no to being stroked.

By September first Toyotama-hime had decided she was going with Harry to Hogwarts. Harry was unsure whether snakes were allowed as pets. There had been nothing against pets sent out and the restrictions of an owl, toad, or cat only applied to first years. After it became apparent Toyotama-hime wasn't asking for permission he agreed and made sure to grab some sugar quills for the train ride, a treat Toyotama-hime had taken to.

The morning of the first day of school was hectic. Harry was the only one packed and he waited for Logan in the living room, curled up with a book, as Logan dashed about, Lily in tow, searching for an array of items. At one point Logan had popped in with a sock in his mouth and had tried to put on his toast, smearing butter all over his leg. The buttery reminder remained as they piled into the car. It wasn't till they reached King's station that someone other than Harry noticed it and told Logan, who wiped it away with a blush.

Platform 9 ¾ was as crowded as last time and Harry stuck close to Logan. Toyotama-hime, who was nestled on his shoulder, tensed with so many people around but Harry kept a comforting hand on her that kept her from striking anyone.

The brothers found an empty compartment. Logan left to find the twins and Harry grabbed a book. After his odd encounter with Toyotama-hime he had decided to reread _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland._ He was enjoying the book as much as he had the first time he read it. At some point Toyotama-hime grew curious and demanded he read the book to her. He agreed, not minding, and found the amount of interest she found in the book entertaining.

The train ride passed quickly as he read to her. Logan and the twins burst into the compartment several times, once followed by a pink haired Ron. At those times Toyotama-hime would hide in his shirt, unwilling to socialize. Harry coaxed her out every time with the story. At one point a girl with blonde hair had strolled through, blue eyes dazed. She didn't say anything so he shrugged it off and continued with the story at Toyomoto-hime's promptings. By the time they reached the school there was only a couple more chapters to go. Toyomoto-hime had been adamant they finished but he denied her, promising her to finish it tonight. She sulked but agreed.

This time he took the carriages to the castle. He was shocked by the large skeleton horses that pulled them and looked around to see if anyone else saw them. One lone boy with large ears and sad eyes met his eyes with a nod of understanding before ducking into a couple of carriages before him.

The small mystery left his mind as they arrived at the castle. Due to his drugged daze last time he didn't remember much from the night he arrived. He had forgotten the splendor of the Great Hall. Toyomoto-hime agreed that it was quite grand but she was far more interested in when the food was going to arrive than the decor. He gave her a soft look and took a place at the Slytherin table, telling her they had to wait for the first years to be sorted before they ate, much to her disappointment. As she began eyeing the other students and making remarks about them being good meals Harry dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a sugar quill. She curled happily around his neck, hissing in contentment as she savoured her treat.

"Look," Pansy whispered, motioning to a lone boy by the end of the table.

"Bloody Hell…" came the soft reply. "He has an Ikuchi."

There were several gasps from the table at the name. While the Ikuchi was a fearsome snake there was a sort of reverence to the creature, akin to that of a unicorns. As children many purebloods had been told of the great sea serpent Otohime who had fallen for a human. She hid her true self from him, taking on the face of a human, and they were wed. On their marriage day Otohime had requested one thing from her husband, never watch if she were to give birth. He had agreed, but had later broken his promise when she had given birth to their children, drawn by her panicked screams. Upon arrival he had discovered his wife was a sea goddess and she had fled, never to see her husband again. She had given birth to twins, a human who would later become the emperor and a snake that had returned to the ocean to rejoin her mother. Ikuchi were thought to be descendants of that serpent and were very magical, along with deadly. For any pureblood to see one was an honour, especially since they're only resting place was Japan.

"He's talking to it," Draco remarked in hushed tones. Everyone near leaned closer to the boy with the snake and, sure enough, there was the faint hiss of parseltongue.

The Slytherin table broke out in whispered discussion. Several Ravenclaws who had heard the commotion began debating as well. By the end of dinner the entire hall was buzzing with news of a parseltongue who had an Ikuchi. The only thing they did not have was a name. When the news reached the Gryffindor table Logan gave a low groan, forgetting that Harry was probably going to bring his snake, and hoped that there wouldn't be too many issues because of this.

Draco had recognized the boy from his trip to Diagon Alley and the times before that. He had known the boy was odd but didn't know he was a parseltongue or that he had an Ikuchi. For the rest of dinner he plotted with Pansy and Blaise, trying to think of ways to learn more about the mysterious boy and what he planned to do, because no one just came into Hogwarts with an Ikuchi without a plan of some form.

Harry ate, unaware of the whispered discussion around him. Every so often Toyomoto-hime would remark on something or demand some of that but otherwise was content to eat and curl around a warm neck. Harry finished before the rest of his house and decided to go back to the dorms so he could finish reading to Toyomoto-hime, knowing she would not let him sleep until the book was done.

Everyone in the hall watched Harry as he left, speculating eyes wondering what he was doing or going to do. Draco gestured to Pansy and Blaise and they followed after the boy, curiosity burning through him. They would just follow him for now, maybe converse if able, but mainly watch. They followed him through the halls into the dungeons. Draco had an inkling of where they were going and was proven right as they found the boy sitting outside the Slytherin common room.

Harry had forgotten about the password and idly wondered how he had managed to get in at all last year. He didn't remember one password. With a shrug he sat next to the opening and decided to wait for the perfects to come along. He fetched the book from his pocket and began to read, much to Toyomoto-hime's delight. As he read she made him repeat several of the poems, loving the way they sounded. Harry indulged her, watching her scales shift to between a hot and soft pink in her desire to mimic the cheshire cat.

Draco watched this odd scene, Pansy and Blaise behind him. Here was a parseltongue reading a _book_ to a very deadly and very powerful snake. It was an absurd scene, yet as he listened to the hissing goosebumps rose on his skin in awe. Pansy and Blaise felt much the same way, never having heard a parseltongue before.

A sudden clattering down the hall announced the arrival of the rest of the house. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise hurried out of the way. Harry didn't notice until he was surrounded by a group of gawking first years.

"Hello?" he said.

The first years continued to stare until one of the perfect herded them into the common room. Harry shrugged and stood, hand reaching up to give Toyomoto-hime a gentle stroke, and followed everyone into the common room. He hurried to his room, anxious to finish the book and sleep.

Draco and Blaise followed the boy to the dorms, promising Pansy to tell her his name in the morning since girls weren't allowed into the boy's dorm. Pansy had pouted but knew there was nothing she could do and bid them goodnight.

The two boys got to the top of the stairs just in time to see the boy disappear into one of the rooms and hurried to the door. On each of the doors the name of its occupants was written in silver letters and this boy was no exception.

"Harry Potter, hmm?" Draco said.

***** Chapter End

Hells to the yeah we're finally to the part where there aren't enormous time skips every single chapter! So this is kinda were the story starts forming and there's a hint of plot. The over arcing plot for the story won't begin until fourth year if my calculations are correct but for smaller plots they're starting to form along with some character building and background. Also, there's Draco and his little Slytherin gang! Yays! Other people are showing up.

Sorry if it's been moving a bit slow but it's necessary. There's going to be a time when the plot is spinning so fast you're going to miss this pace, I promise ;P

As always, feel free to give suggestions or if there's anything you've noticed please tell. Also, if anyone can tell me who Toyomoto-hime is I'm gonna be hella impressed (and hella sad if you don't get it 'cuz it's pretty damn obvious)

Alright, till next time, night


	7. The Dark Prince

By the next morning, the rumors of Harry had reached every ear in the school. There were whispers of him being the new Dark Lord or a snake Prince. Several claimed he was an Asian royalty stolen at birth and brought here. Other said he was going to kill them all with his Ikuchi.

For the most part, no one knew what to believe and just circulated these vague rumors around in the hopes they would find the truth. It was a mystery and one that kept everyone eyes on Harry all day.

Harry woke early enough to escape any such rumors or questioning as he had to go to the hospital wing for his medicine. Logan no longer waited for Harry after he had told his older brother he would be fine going alone.

The halls were silent, a far cry from their usual state, and Harry found comfort in the welcoming silence. Toyomoto Hime was still asleep, dozing happily in the crook of his neck and he tried not to jostle her as he walked up the stairs. As he rounded a corner, a girl came into view, seemingly headed in the same direction. The girl looked back and saw him, breaking into a smile.

"Hello," she said, her voice dreamy. Her blue eyes had a far off look, one that Logan said

he often had.

"Hi," Harry replied, unsure how to respond. Even though he had been here for a year, he had had very little interaction with anyone, or if he had he didn't remember it.

"I'm Luna," the girl, Luna, said, letting her steps slow so she was walking beside him.

"Harry,"

Luna laughed, her voice light. "I know. The whipplesnatches around you told me,"

Harry looked around in search of the said creatures. "What are 'whipplesnatches'?"

"Most people can't see them," Luna lifted a hand, as though touching something. "It makes them sad,but they're used to it."

Harry frowned in confusion but nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy in response to the longing look on Luna's face. "I'm sorry. I wish I could see them,"

Luna looked at him with a sad smile. "I wish so too. You going to the hospital wing?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"The whipplesnatches,"

Harry just nodded again before reversing the question on her. She was going to the Hospital wing as well. In an unspoken agreement, they kept each other company as they made their way to the hospital wing. Luna talked occasionally, mentioning this he had never heard of though her thoughts were often jumbled.

Madame Pomfrey gave them their potions and sent them to the Great Hall for breakfast. Luna kept with him until she had to make her way to her table. Already a little fuzzy from the drugs Harry nodded and gave a wave before floating over to his own table.

At the smell of food Toyomoto Hime woke, snatching some fresh fruit from his plate. He stroke her scales absently and stared at a swirl in the table, not really seeing it. He hated when the potion first began its effects, it was always the strongest at first.

Some point during the breakfast, a perfect had informed Harry Professor Snape wanted to talk to him. He had nodded absently, or at least he thought he had, and grabbed a small bowl of fruit for Toyomoto Hime as he made his way down to the dungeons.

Snape was in his office, the door open in invitation when he arrived. He had knocked softly on the frame before standing in the doorframe. Always knock on a door before entering a room, he remembered a strict telling him, it's impolite not to.

"Enter," Snape drawled, barely looking up from the papers he was grading. Harry made his way into the room, sitting when Snape indication for him to. He was trying to pay attention, knowing that his Head of House would only call him for a good reason, but everything was hazy on the edges and reality kept slipping, like water through his fingers.

"Mr. Potter," Snape began. "I wanted to talk with you about your new pet," he began.

Toyomoto Hime hissed, tail slashing in anger at her dislike of being referred to as a pet. Snape

spared her a glance before returning his eyes to Harry. "You do realize that having a poisonous pet is against the rules?"

Harry shook his head, both in answer to the question and in attempt to clear the cobwebs in his mind. "No, sir. The rule on the owls, cats, and toads applied to first years only. I saw none for the older students. Besides," he added at Toyomoto Hime's promptings. "She's not a pet."

"So you didn't buy her for the purpose of coddling an animal," Snape's lip curled at the mention of 'coddling'' but otherwise remained passive.

Harry shook his head. "No sir, she found me and decided to come to school with me. She

was kidnaped from her home and wishes to rest before returning."

Snape pondered this information before continuing. "Can you control her? Make sure she

doesn't harm any students?"

Harry nodded. "Yes sir," Toyomoto Hime didn't like to bite people, thinking the majority of the two-legs were dirty, Harry was an exception, of course though she would never bit him. Too much.

"Alright," Snape gave a nod. "You may keep her but only as long as no harm comes to any students. She will be killed otherwise."

Harry went white and his hand flew to his shoulder. A deep depression fell over him at the thought of losing her. Even though he had just found her a few days ago, she was his first friend. He nodded, unable to speak as dark scenarios played in his mind. The fog settled more fully, blanketing all, taking all emotions, leaving Harry to watch the scenes in an apathetic silence.

Snape saw the life flee from the boys eyes and sighed, knowing the look far too well from last year. He had hoped the boy would recover and no longer need to take the potion. He had wanted to have Harry start doing more complex potions and teaching him more, but he couldn't not with the boy like this. He sent the boy to class and returned to his grading, Maybe next year.

"Hey Harry!" a voice called. Harry looked up to see Hermione across the lawn, arm outstretched in a large wave before she jogged over.

"Hi," he replied as she plopped down next to him by the tree overlooking the lake. He had come out to read, disliking the stares he received in the common room. It seemed as though the entire school was watching him and he didn't know why.

"What are you reading now?" Hermione asked, spotting the book next to Harry.

"Through the Looking Glass. Toyomoto Hime really liked the first one and wanted to read the sequel." Harry explained.

Hermione nodded in understanding. "So that's her name?" She asked. "Your snake?"

Harry looked at his wrist where Toyomoto Hime was coiled and nodded. "Yeah,"

Hermione bit her lip before continuing. "I read about them, Ikuchi's. All the books described them as highly dangerous creatures that hated wizards."

Harry nodded slightly. "She doesn't really hate wizards, except for the ones that took her away from her home. She's just antisocial, seeing us as silly and pedantic."

"Oh," Hermione said, surprised. They lapsed into silence, both staring out over the lake.

Harry seemed content to do so while Hermione teased her lip, shooting nervous glances at Harry, as though wanting to say something. Finally screwing up the courage that place her in Gryffindor she opened her mouth, only to be cut off by a very annoying red head.

"Hey Hermione, what are you doing over here?"

Ronald Weasley appeared as though from seemingly nowhere. Hermione scowled at him while Harry looked at the new person with dull eyes. Ron shuddered slightly, unnerved by those green eyes.

"What do you want Ron?" Hermione asked with an exasperated sigh.

"You promised to help me with charms," Ron whined. "And it's due tomorrow."

"I told you I would look at it when you were done," Hermione corrected.

"But Hermione..."

Hermione heaved another sigh, a habit she had when around Ronald Weasley. Even though he was one of her best friends, he was such a pain in the bum! "No Ron, I'm spending time with Harry right now. If you like, you can join us," She sent a questioning glance to Harry, who merely nodded in response, eyes drifting back to the lake.

"But Hermione," Ron dropped his voice to a whisper. "He's a freak and probably dark."

"Ronald Weasley!" she gasped. "How dare you? He's sitting right here?"

Ron flushed, growing brash at being rebuked. "He isn't even paying attention. And if he's he's too drugged to care. They probably drugged him because they knew he was going to be a dark wizard.

Hermione stood, Ron eyeing her warily and slapped him hard across the face, his head jerking to the side. "How dare you?" she hissed. She looked back at Harry, surprised to see a couple of tears sliding down the boy's emotionless face, still looking over the water. '

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry... " Hermione started.

Harry didn't even glance at her, the fog in his mind too thick, resounding with Ron's words, cutting through him like a knife but without the pain.

Hermione cast a worried look at her friend before bidding him goodbye, intent on giving Ronald the talking to of his life. Harry muttered back something resembling a goodbye and Hermione left. As Harry stared out over the lake, he had to wonder if there was any truth in Ron's words but found that he was, in fact, too drugged to care.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" Professor Sprout called at the end of class. Harry waited for his classmates to leave before making his way to her.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about an idea I had, for a club. I want to start an Herbology club and thought you might be interested." Professor Sprout said.

Since trying to get Minerva and Severus to let Neville and Harry work together in class had gone to all hell (they had a horrific shouting match that interrupted several staff meetings) she had decided to try a different approach.

An Herbology club seemed like the perfect idea and she could introduce more students to each other. She had met with a Miss Luna Lovegood, who thought the Herbology club was a wonderful idea and promised to join. Neville, while shy, wanted to join as well.

"Sure professor," Harry agreed. "Just let me know when it's going to be,"

Professor Sprout nodded. "Of course love. Now hurry along to your next class or you'll be late."

Neville stared at something unseen as he pondered his decision to join the Herbology club. He loved Herbology but wasn't good with people. In fact, he was terrible. He was already in second year and the other Gryffindors only spoke to him to get the homework or to pick on him.

For the most part, though they ignored him. At times, he didn't know which one was better. He didn't want to disappoint Professor Sprout either. She had sort of taken him under her wing, letting him work with the plants in his down time when he didn't want to be around anyone.

She was always there when he wanted to talk as well though he didn't do that much. He was scared of getting the boys in his house in trouble and of them finding out. He was glad that the mystery with the Harry kid was still floating around; the Slytherins were too busy trying to figure out that deal to make fun of him.

With a sigh of plopped back on his bed; how did everything come to this? All he wanted was a simple year, one where most people would leave him alone. But now he was being forced with the possibility of socializing with more people than he ever had. A tiny voice in the back of his head pointed out he was over exaggerating, but he ignored it, wanting to be angsty for a while. It was a nice change from miserable. Later he would rationalize everything and maybe even look forward to the club but for now he was going to play the poor victim.

He soon grew bored with the mood, he always did. He never understood how some kids could stay in their self-pitying fest for days on end without hating themselves. With a groan, he heaved himself from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. He needed a shower.

Hermione eyed her friend carefully across the bubbling caldron. It had been a week since school began and even though the rumors were dying done she was still full of curiosity. She watched as Harry added the lacewings, producing a soft puff of violet and began on juliennin' the beetle wings.

His face was filled with a look of concentration, one that she had never seen him wear anywhere else. She stirred the potion ten times clockwise and three counterclockwise, trying to think of a way to ease into her questioning. Unable to think of a graceful way she decided just to ask.

"How long how you know you're a parseltongue?"

Harry barely paused to look up. He answered with a shrug. "This summer, when I met Toyomoto Hime and Logan told me."

The answer was an odd one as if he didn't know he was a Parseltongue when he was talking to snakes and had to be told. But that couldn't be true, could it? Harry was the brother of the boy who lived, surely he knew about the magical world and magical traits.

"Have you ever talked to snakes before?"

"Yeah," Harry was adding the wings now, scattering them softly across the surface. "When I was little. I would also talk to the other creatures in the garden."

Hermione's eyes widened at the innocent statement and the implications. Not only had been talking to snakes since he was a child but other creatures. Even with her vast knowledge of magical traits she had learned since finding out Harry was a Parseltongue she hadn't run into anything like that.

Harry continued working, wincing slightly as his head ached slightly as he remembered long afternoons laboring in a garden. Shaking it off he began assembling the other ingredients while they waited for their potion to simmer for fifteen minutes. A sudden thought came to mind, one he had meaning to ask.

"Hey, Hermione, why did Ron call me dark?"

Hermione scowled, still angry with the red head for saying something so stupid. "It's because of the fact that you're a Parseltongue."

"Why is it considered dark?" Harry asked. Hermione paused, slightly scared as she turned to Harry.

Surely he, of all people, knew. "Because of..." her voice dropped, "Voldemort... He had the same gift."

"Who's that?" Harry question was innocent enough, his eyes looking at her with a hint of curiosity. She froze. He didn't know, he didn't know, how the hell did he not know? What did this mean?

"Harry, you know about Voldemort, right?" she gave a nervous chuckle. "You must know, after what happened."

Harry shook his head, wondering why Hermione was acting so oddly. He tried to remember the name and an image flashed behind his eyes. Him and his brother sitting in a small cupboard. Logan was saying something... something about Voldemort.

Harry furrowed his brow, trying to hear, trying to remember, but the image flickered. A steady ache grew behind his eyes. His vision shift again. Footsteps, loud and ringing. A knife. Cuts, pain. A cruel smile. He grabbed his head, trying to fend off the pain. What was this? This wasn't his memories! Why did this hurt so much? A laugh. He was thrown to the floor. It hurt it Hurt IT HURT! Make it stop make it stop STOP!

Hermione screamed as Harry fell from his chair, writhing in pain. Snape hurried over, casting spells as he did to check the boy's health to see if he had inhaled any toxic fumes or potion that could damage him. They all came back negative. The class was growing restless, no one quite sure of what was happening.

"What happened?" Snape demanded, eyes burrowing into Hermione's.

She babbled something, mouth gaping, but it was incoherent as she gazed at her friend. He growled and quickly skimmed her mind for the memory. Upon seeing no harm coming to the boy that could have caused this he turned his attention back to the child in question.

In the short time that passed Harry had stilled. For the first time, Snape noticed the snake, standing guard over the boy, hissing every time he came near. Suddenly Harry groaned, drawing every eye from the room and stood.

He felt funny, as though his head was filled with cotton balls. He gingerly touched his head, expecting pain, but there was none. An emotion that might have been surprising welled only to be killed before it began. He sat back down, unaware of the class watching him. The potion had started to spoil due to standing too long, small clumps forming.

We'll have to restart, the thought was a fact, tinged with no emotion. He stood, intending to gather more ingredients only to be stopped.

"Mr. Potter, do tell me what you are doing?" Snape asked with a voice of shadows.

Harry looked up, taking a moment to focus on the potions master. "It's the potion," he explained. "We need to remake it," Surely the potions professor of all people could see that.

Snape shook his head slightly, hating the dazed look in the boy's eyes. "Why were you just on the floor, presumably in pain?"

Harry froze, trying to remember, but stopped at the echo of pain the memory incurred, wincing. Snape noticed the odd reaction but kept his tongue.

"I'm not quite sure sir. I remember my head hurt a lot." Harry said.

Snape eyed the boy, taking the pain dazed look in his eyes and the protective snake wound across his shoulder. "Ms. Granger, would you be so kind as to take Mr. Potter to the infirmary. As for your potion, I'll grade what has been done, minus the interruption and not take off point for mistakes that happened after Mr. Potter's incident," he said, calculating Hermione's next question.

Hermione nodded gratefully and quickly mothered Harry out of the room, Harry giving mild protest that he was fine.

Snape watched them leave before turning with a flourish of his robes and glaring the class back intoorder to finish their mostly ruined potions. After a subtle reminder that the potion would spoil immediately if left still any longer than three minutes, the class sprang into action.

With a slight smirk at the chaos in the room, Snape sat at his desk to watch the scrambling of firstyears knowing they are going to fail. He would see Madame Pomfrey later about Harry and try to figure that whole mess out. Properly an issue with the medication, but for now he could enjoy his rule in the classroom and the fear he invoked.

***Chapter End


	8. Soft Blushes and Hidden Glances

Professor Sprout looked around the little greenhouse at the recruits for the first ever

Herbology club meeting. Neville Longbottom was there, of course, along with Luna Lovegood waiting patiently to begin. Harry Potter had come, to her surprise.

After his little episode in potions class, she had been unsure if he would come. Apparently he had to get a medication change and everything, making him dreamier than before. Poor child, bless his heart.

Last but not least little Hannah Abbot was fidgeting in the corner, as though unsure of whether she should have come or not. Deciding there would be no more coming she began.

"Today we are going into the Forbidden Forest to gather some plants. Afterward, we will bring them back here and tend to them during the school year." She said, earning nervous glances from everyone but Luna and Harry, who just looked dazed.

"Is that safe professor?" Neville asked.

She smiled at him. "Of course love, you're going to be with me the entire time. Besides, we won't be going far; just into the outskirts."

Neville nodded, only looking slightly assured.

"Alright, I want everyone to grab a partner, just in case something happens." she said.

Any form of assurance she had given Neville before vanished and Hannah was fidgeting more than ever. She hides a sigh, feeling as though she was in charge of a herd of skittish Thestrals, these poor dears.

The greenhouse door burst open and in came tumbling a dark haired girl. She was surprised to find it to be Millicent Bulstrode. Two Slytherins, a Hufflepuff, a Gryffindor, and a Ravenclaw; this was turning into a very interesting group.

"Sorry professor," Millicent mumbled, straightening her robes. "Didn't mean to be late,"

"It's perfectly fine dear. I was just telling the group to get into pairs before we go into the Forbidden Forest to gather some plants," she paused. "On second thought, let's do one group of three and a group of two. And just for the sake of today, you can't be with someone in your own house."

The five teens stared awkwardly at each other until Luna floated over to Harry and grabbed his hand. Harry merely nodded. With a deep breath Neville followed, leaving Millicent and Hannah as the other group. Please with this arrangement Professor Sprout gave each group a small shovel, several pots, and a list of plants to find.

"Let's go," she called, leading them out to the forest. The kids followed her at a distance, still wary. She gave a small smile at nothing and hoped that this club would help them gain a bit of confidence in themselves.

Millicent scowled, occasionally glancing at her partner. Of all the people in that room, she had been paired with the one Hufflepuff. She didn't even want to be here. Stupid Draco and Pansy had bribed her into doing it, wanting her to spy on Harry. The longer she was here, the more she was convinced that having a week of Charms homework done for her wasn't worth it.

"What are we looking for?" she growled, glaring at her partner. The girl jumped slightly and turned around.

"A lune lys," the girl replied quickly.

"The fuck is that?" she sighed. She was hating this more and more.

The girl gulped and answered. "It's a type of lily that harnesses the rays of the moon and reflects them during the day. They often use it in wolf's bane to combine the fever-few..." her voice faded off, probably realizing her audience was no longer listening.

"What does it look like?" Millicent asked instead.

The girl stopped, looking at an area just above her head with wide eyes. "There!" she pointed. "A lunelys,"

Millicent looked up to see a white flower with sprawling petals, shining softly as spirals of blue and purple descended into the center. She gasped slightly, surprised by the beauty of it. She had never been a fan of flowers, detested them for the most part, but this one was gorgeous.

"How do we get it?" she asked. "We can't use magic, right? Fucks with the plants or something like that."

The girl hummed in agreement. Millicent looked away from the flower to see the girl frowning, a fierce look of concentration on her face. As though deciding on something the girl nodded and headed towards the tree the lily's vine grew on and began to climb. Millicent watched, slightly impressed, as the Hufflepuff scrambled up the tree and shimmied onto the branch.

"Got it!" the girl crowed in accomplishment. The sound of cheer turned to a scream as she lost her balance, toppling from the tree. Millicent yelped as she snatched the girl from the air, glad she had practically been directly underneath her.

The girl landed in Millicent's arms with an 'oof', eyes scrunched in fear. Millicent watched as the girl's eyes peeked open, as though still waiting to hit the ground. For the first time, Millicent noticed the girls chocolate brown eyes, cute chocolate brown eyes. The girl's eyes snapped open as she realized what had happened and went into a spastic motion that sent her to the ground. Unable to keep from laughing at the Hufflepuffs dazed look Millicent snickered, hiding her grin behind her hand.

"Hey!" the girl scrambled to her feet and placed her hands akimbo in what she hoped was a threatening position. "That was not funny!"

"Whatever you say flower girl," Millicent smirked. "You did get the flower, right?"

The girl looked at her hand curious, then smiled triumphantly as she saw he was still holding the pant. "Yep!"

"Alright, let's go find the others,"

The girl nodded in agreement and the two set off again, the Hufflepuff holding the flower close and sneaking glances at the girl at her side. After a few minutes of the other girls, 'secretive' looks and blushes Millicent sighed. "What is it?"

"Uhhh," the girl blushed and looked down. She took a breath before saying in a rush,

"Thank you for catching me and not letting me fall."

Millicent paused, staring at the girl who was resolutely looking at the ground, blush deepening. It was odd, never before had another house, much less a Hufflepuff, told her, a snake, thank you, for anything. It was nice.

"No problem," she brushed it off, "Besides, you practically fell on me. What else was I supposed to do?"

The girl looked up, trying to stammer out an apology while simultaneously trying to insult Millicent. The snake merely laughed, amused by the other girls reactions. When the stream of odd wordsstopped, Millicent looked over at the other, trying to act casual as she placed her hands in her pockets.

"Your name's Hannah, right?"

"Yup," Hannah nodded happily. Millicent smiled; Hannah was a pretty name.

Neville glanced nervously at the snake wound across Harry's shoulders. While he didn't have a very good track record with magical creatures he found himself fascinated with the snakes, especially as it shimmered from a black to a dark purple flecked with silver.

He rubbed his fingers together nervously, wondering if he dared asked Harry if his snake had a name. Harry was staring around the forest absently, face void of expression. Neville shivered at the lack of expression, it was if the boy was dead.

Deciding he would ask he gently tapped Harry on the arm, far enough away from his snake as to not frighten her. "Does your snake have a name?"

Harry looked over, taking a moment to focus, hand reaching up to stroke Toyomoto Hime's tail. "Yeah, Toyomoto Hime."

Neville repeated the name softly, drawing the attention of the snake. "It's a beautiful name," he said, as much to Harry as to Toyomoto Hime. Toyomoto Hime gave what sounded like a pleased hissed and Harry translated.

"She says thank you. She rather likes being complimented. She likes being pet as well."

"May I pet her?" Neville asked before remembering he should ask Toyomoto Hime.

He had learned a bit about the etiquette of magical creatures and while it normally discriminated against petting them if you did, you were to always ask the creature first. Hurrying to fix his mistake he turned his eye to the snake and gave a small bow.

"May I pet you?"

Toyomoto Hime gave another hiss and Harry gave a nod. Straightening his shoulders

Neville reached his hand out slowly, allowing the fingertips to brush across scales on Toyomoto Hime's back. She moved luxuriously underneath his fingers and he continued to softly stroke her as she gave a content hiss.

"She likes you," Harry said absently. "A bit odd because she's very antisocial."

Neville smiled at the comment. "I like you too," he cooed back to the snake, gently rubbing her head.

Luna waltzed up to the pair, a collection of plants in her hands and a new flower crown on her head. "Hello,"

"Hey Luna," Harry replied, Neville following suit.

The girl smiled dreamily and grabbed both of their hands, "Follow me, I want to show you something,"

Neville thought about resisting and even tugged at his hand some but followed in the end. Harry went along without a fight, glad someone was leading him through the fog.

The three paused in a small opening in the trees, a brook on the far left. Dim light filtered in from the afternoon sun, dust moats twirled like dancers upon the grandest dance floor of them all. The floor was carpeted by the roots of trees old and new, the ground only peeking through here and there. In between the roots small flowers grew, refusing to be held under.

Neville looked around in awe, eyes wide. He never knew a place this gorgeous could be in the forbidden forest. Soft hooves plodded on the ground and his eyes dimmed.

"Thestrals," he simply said.

Luna nodded and ventured further into the clearing to greet them where they had gathered by the brook. "They enjoy it here, where it's safe."

Harry was watching the skeleton horses with a look of fascination, something he had not felt in weeks. A young Thestrals tottered towards him on unsteady legs. Slowly he gravitated towards the little one, hand reaching forward until it came to rest on the black skin.

The Thestrals gave a small cooing noise, nuzzling his hand. The image of a small girl flickered behind his eyelids and he gave a bittersweet smile, unable to remember who she was. Pain pulsed at the edges of his mind but faded as the Thestrals came closer, pressing against his side. Tears slowly leaked down his cheeks as he pictured the girl, knowing he had once known her, knowing that she was dead, but not knowing why.

Nails bit into the soft flesh of Neville's palms as he watched Harry and Luna mingling with the Thestrals. It hurt, to remember why he could see these creatures, it hurt so much. It had been his cousin. When he uncle had pushed him into the lake to try and see if cause any accidental magic his younger cousin had jumped in after him.

His cousin wasn't a strong swimmer and had only begun swimming earlier that month. While he was fine on normal days when the lake was smooth he could handle the waves and churning waters the storm had created.

Neville had tried his best to reach his cousin, shouting at his relatives to do something, but he barely knew how to swim as well. Before long they were both underwater, holding onto each other as they tried to kick to the surface.

Every so often they were thrown above water for some air, but not for long. At some point he realized his cousin had stopped kicking, had stopped moving, but told himself that it was because he was tired.

He had tried to hold his cousin above the water, tried to do anything to keep him alive. It took seven minutes for any other adult to realize what had happened; his uncle had disappeared, believing that if his nephew couldn't do magic he didn't deserve to live. They came three minutes too late. He had been clutching onto the body of his dead cousin for three whole minutes before his family pulled his from the water.

He had kept clinging onto his cousin, screaming for someone to fix him, to do something besides stand around awkwardly. He had screamed himself hoarse and was sobbing, clutching his cousin before someone finally spelled him to sleep and put him to bed.

When he woke his family blamed him for his cousin's death. He tried to tell him what really happened, about his uncle and what he did, but they didn't believe him. He wasn't allowed to go to his cousin's funeral or his grave. He wasn't allowed to see any of his other cousins ever again. He stopped trying and eventually began to believe it himself. By the time he was seven his family thought him a murderer and he thought so too.

He jolted as he was forced back into reality, a huge Thestrals standing before him. It was a female, judging by the two children by her legs. Nails dug deeper into his hands, drawing blood, as he was faced with the visual reminder of what he had done.

He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to block the tears. A soft nudging at his hand and a warm tongue eased his eyes open. One of the small Thestrals was gently licking the blood from his hands caused by his nails. He slowly opened his hands and the Thestrals licked his palm, tickling him.

He watched in awe as the wounds healed. The other Thestral healed his other hand. He looked into the eyes of the one before him and nodded his thanks, too shocked for words. She bowed her head and rubbed her cheek against the side of his head. With trembling hands he reached a hand up to stroke her neck. The Thestrals gave a coo and spread her wings slightly, fluttering them by her side. The smaller Thestrals, upon seeing this display, splayed their wings and flapped their wings. They rose slightly in the air before tumbling back to the earth with a confused noise.

Unable to help himself Neville laughed. He didn't know when his laughter turned to tears but the female Thestrals wrapped a wing around him protectively and her babies cuddled to his sides, giving him comfort as he clung to her neck and cried, for the first time since he had watched his cousin die.

Sometime later, when Neville had no more tears and just holding onto the Thestrals, Luna came to get him, grabbing his hand softly as she led him away. He gave a mumbled a thank you to the Thestrals, smiling as they cooed back to him, and followed Luna.

She rounded up Harry too, who was seated with a Thestral resting next to him. Taking a look at Luna and Harry Neville was glad to see he wasn't the only one with red eyes and tear tracks. It looked as though they had all had their personal grief to battle through. With a far lighter heart the three of them went off into the forest

"There you two are," Professor Sprout called, seeing Hannah and Millicent came around a bend. "We've been looking for you,"

Somehow the two girls had managed to wander off without her noticing. They looked no worse for the wear, besides a still vibrant blush on Hannah's face, for which she was thankful of.

Harry, Luna, and Neville had wandered off first and while she had been searching for them Hannah and Millicent had gone missing. Seeing as she had just found the latter all she needed to do was find the former. She gave a heavy sigh, no more excursions into the Forbidden Forest after this.

After several more minutes of searching the trio showed up. She worried about their red eyes but the small smiles on their faces convinced her not to ask. It was the first time Harry had smiled since his medication change and Neville had never looked so unburdened before. She wasn't about to change that by asking them what they had been crying about; maybe later but not now.

"Good, we have everyone; now let's go back to the greenhouse before someone goes missing again." Professor Sprout said, quickly herding them out of the forest.

Pansy, Draco, and Blaise cornered Millicent as soon as she walked into the common room.

"What did you discover?" Pansy asked as they pulled her over to one of the private rooms in the Slytherin house. The common room was often a stage and place to meet, an open invitation so to speak. There were private rooms attached to the common room that were used for special gathers and friends wishing to talk without having to watch their every move in the chance it is seen and analyzed.

While many Slytherin's found the common room helpful they cared a great deal for the private rooms, especially the younger ones who had yet to master their mask and weren't too involved in politics. The older ones tended to lean towards the common room due to the political happening that often took place and the alliances to be gained by time spent there.

By the time Millicent was settled on a couch, Blaise and Pansy on either side of her, Draco across; all three of them demanding answers. She sighed, they had sent her, actually pushing her through the door, to gather information on Harry Potter the possible new dark lord and all that rot. They were like sharks on the faint scent of blood that's probably just Kool aide. And of course, she was getting dragged into all of this since she was Pansy 'bestie' as to quote the other girl.

"I didn't find much," she confessed. "Professor Sprout split us into groups with the stipulation you couldn't be with someone from your own house. So I got stuck with some Hufflepuff and then the others went and got themselves lost. Then we got lost. And finally Sprout just dragged us all back to the greenhouse."

"Oh," Pansy said, sounding a bit put out. "That's all?"

Millicent nodded. Blaise turned on her with calculating eyes. "Who showed up to the meeting?"

"A Gryffindor named Neville Longbottom, a Ravenclaw named Luna Lovegood, and a Hufflepuff named Hannah Abbott," she willed herself to keep her voice cold on the last name as she had the others and not soften the name like she wanted to do.

The trio frowned, looking at Millicent as though she could offer some answers. She raised her hands in mock surrender to their silent questions and their shoulder slumped in defeat.

"Alright, looks like we need a new plan!" Blaise said.

Draco and Pansy jumped into the panning enthusiastically. Millicent merely watched with an amused smirk, occasionally throwing in a sarcastic comment here and there to draw attentions to the flaws in their plans.

Dumbledore looked down his nose at the witch in front of him. She had once been one of his finest students and a most fearsome soldier. She was now another lost soul in need of reassurance that what they were doing was good.

No matter how many times he explained the need for some sacrifice in war no one seemed willing to give it and was always questioning them after they had done so. He knew it was hard, especially after he himself had given so much, but it had to be done.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Lily confessed, her words the hushed whisper of a Dumbledore steepled his finger together. "You know why you must, correct?"

Lily nodded, swallowing hard. She rubbed her hands over her blotchy face, the sign of recent tears. "I know, I know. You've explained it so many times it just that..."

"That what?" Dumbledore asked.

He was afraid of the answer, afraid that she'll regret her decision. If she regretted it enough there was so much harm she could do. But at the same time he knew just how weak and fragile she was, even ten years after the death of James.

His death had broken Lily, nearly driven her to suicide. If it wasn't for Logan she would have died. As much as Dumbledore hated doing so he knew he could use this guilt to help ease her into the right direction and clear her guilty conscious.

"He's just a child," Lily gave a dry sob, unwilling to cry.

She'd already spent so many nights crying about this. It was eating her alive. There was only so much work she could do before there was no more and the thoughts were back. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she didn't know what else she could do.

"He's already been so much and it's all my fault. Surely he can be spared some pain. I mean, is it really necessary?"

Dumbledore gave a sigh, letting his shoulder drop as in sorrow and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Oh Lily, if only life were that simple. No child should have to go through what Harry is going through but... you know as well as I do that Voldemort will rise and that there will be another war. Sacrifices must be made, by everyone. He may only be a child but he will help bring an end to Voldemort once and for all."

Lily wrung her hands, often catching her wrist and rubbing it hard enough to bruise. She knew his words made sense but "...it doesn't feel right,"

"Sometimes doing the right thing doesn't always feel like it. It's hard to accept but it is the truth." Dumbledore's words rang of a wisdom and clarity that washed over Lily, subtly influencing her thoughts to the correct way of thinking.

Lily fought with herself for several long moment, trying to sort out her mind, trying to find the arguments she had played out so many times alone, but there was none, there probably never was any real argument. She gave a sigh of defeat. "I understand..."

Dumbledore placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. "I'm sorry it's come to this dear, but in this war we all must do our part."

Lily gave a watery smile. "I know. Thank you so much headmaster, you never fail to reach me with your words of wisdom and kindness."

Dumbledore gave a slight nod, grateful to have avoided any major conflicts. "Anytime my child."

*****Chapter End

So, computer is doing weird shit so let's see if it works this time. For those of you who have no problem seeing this fret you not, this doesn't apply to you


	9. Weightless

Draco splashed water on his face, clearing away the last vestiges of the nightmare. His eyes avoided the mirror as he toweled off his face. No longer could he stand the dull eyes and jutting cheekbones that looked back at him.

He gave a sigh and went to gather his school things. There was still an hour till breakfast and he wanted to look over his charms essay. Even though he had half a foot more than he was supposed to and he went in to the different pronunciation of the cheering charm and how it could affect the outcome he still worried that it wasn't enough. Perhaps he should add something about the abuses of the cheering charm and the damaging effect it has on the liver and kidney's when used too often.

Pondering this he made his way up to the library. A little extra research on the transfiguration between bioorganic organism and artificial objects might help him in McGonagall's class and maybe even give him an edge over that Granger girl.

His face darkened at the mere thought of her but he quickly dispelled it. Brooding over the rivalry would do nothing, study on the other on would accomplish something. With a harsh determination he turned into the library and pulled out his charms essay, deciding that he should add the health effects of the cheering charm. He would focus on Transfiguration after.

He soon lost track of time, adding four more inches onto his essay and gathering several transfiguration novels to study. A quick tempus charm told him only five minutes remained of breakfast. He carefully grabbed his books, fearful of angering Ms. Pince if he handled the books too roughly, and hurried to the Great Hall. His mother had warned that his father was to sent a letter on this day and Lucius's owl would be crossed if he wasn't there to receive him.

Pansy and Blaise glanced at him in surprise, he hadn't shown up to breakfast for the last while, before continuing their conversation. Draco made sure all of the materials he got from the library were secure in his bag before looking around the hall for Lucius's owl, Nocte.

As though summoned the great horned owl swooped from the sky, landing gracefully in front of Draco, a note tied to his leg which he held out with dignity. Draco inclined his head in thanks and swiftly untied the scroll, ignoring his trembling fingers. Nocte swept into the air and left for the owlery, leaving Draco alone with his father's letter. Taking a deep breath he opened it, steeling himself so that no one would see any weakness that might show as he read his father's scathing words.

 _October 11_

 _Draco,_

 _How are you doing? Adjusting well and bringing pride onto our name, I hope. Though you have only been gone for a scant two months your mother is already filled with the longing to see you again and cannot wait for Christmas and, at odd moments, I find myself missing you as well._

 _It has come to my attention that you are not excelling in your studies as you should. Rumor has it that a mudblood is currently besting you in Transfigurations and Charms. Is this true? A Malfoy outdone by one of so low a ranking that the classification 'human' is generous? I pray this is not so. It would be a disgrace to the name of Malfoy. You must work harder in your studies Draco. Someone of your pedigree should never be beat by a filthy mudblood and if you are it makes you no better than them. I expect you to make the necessary changes to your grades by the end of the week._

 _The quidditch season is starting soon. I would not be surprised if it has already begun by the time this letter has reached you. I have managed to secure you a position on the team but that does not mean that I can keep that position for you. You must work hard to be the best. Snape will be giving me updates on your performance. Make sure they are good ones. If work allows your mother and I will come to witness your first game. I look forward to seeing you again._

 _Remember to give pride to the Malfoy name and make connections when you can. Use this time in school wisely, it will greatly benefit you in the future._

 _Your father,_

 _Lucius Malfoy_

Draco took a calming breath, reading the words but not letting them sink their claws into his skin. Later he could let his emotions show, for now he had to let his mask show. He was a Malfoy and needed to act like it, just like his father advised. Though his father's words were sometimes cruel, especially in regards to his academic standing, he knew it was for the best. If he were only a little bit better he could gain his father's pride but for now he had to work for it.

A second owl dropped from the sky. He recognized it as Astrum, his mother's owl. Astrum waited for Draco to untie the package from her foot before nibbling on some toast someone had abandoned. Draco soothed her feather absently and opened the letter that came with the package, curious as to what his mother had to say.

 _My dearest Draco,_

 _How I have missed you. The halls of this house seem far too empty without you here to roam them. Your father just sweeps about like some sort of messiah for the dust bunnies. He's never been fun company, as loving as he is._

 _I simply cannot wait to see you. While it's supposed to be a surprise I've decided to come to your first quidditch game. It must be so exciting to be on the team. It's interesting, you've never had much of an interest in quidditch but I support you in anything you decide to do. Train hard my little dragon. It won't be an easy win but it will be a most satisfying one._

 _I heard the disappointing news about your grades. I hope you are feeling well. It's not like you to be so lackadaisical in your studies. I look forward to seeing you be the best in your class like I know you are. If you need any extra research materials don't hesitate to send an owl. I will get you anything you need. To help you with your studying I've sent you a box of sugar quills. I remember how fond you are of them and thought they might be a good motivator._

 _I must be off now. I look forward to seeing you in just a few weeks times. I love you darling, be well, be safe._

 _Your mother,_

 _Narcissa Malfoy_

This letter was easier to read but still set a heavy weight on his shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to slouch in his seat and sigh at the helplessness of having to please his parents in both academics and quidditch. But he was a Malfoy so he simply folded the letter and placed both of them nicely in his bag. He grabbed the package as he made his way out of the Great Hall, stuffing them in his bag. The thought of having to carry around those sugar laden sweets all day made him ill to his stomach but class was schedule to start soon and he couldn't afford to be late just because he wanted to place some stuff in his dorm room.

He made his way to charms and pulled out some paper and a quill and decided to look over his essay one last time while the rest of the class shuffled in. There were several small corrections that needed to be made but otherwise the paper looked perfect. He gave a small smile and scrolled his paper up, at least he could some things right, this was bound to be the best essay out of the class. After Professor Flitwick had collected all the essay he began to lecture about the history of the depression charm. While the rest of the class stared blankly Draco set to work jotting down everything Professor Flitwick said in shorthand, making sure his handwriting was flawless. Anything less than perfection was unacceptable.

Draco stared in disbelief at the transfiguration homework Professor McGonagall had just handed back. On the top, marked in red, was an E; a bloody E. He hadn't gotten less than an O all year long. How did he get an E?

He scanned the paper, a series of questions Professor McGonagall had assigned, and saw that point had been taken off numers 6-9. Sudden outrage threatened to overcome him. He had seen Professor McGonagall personally about those questions and had voiced his opinions and reasons to make sure they were correct. She had given him some pointers and a book to read that would help him better understand it. He had spent seven hours making sure these questions were perfect, excluding the time it took to read the book. He had made sure that they were right…

Tears of rage blurred the edges of his vision and he realized just how tight he was gripping his paper. With a forced breath he loosed his grasp and forced all emotion away. It didn't matter, he would just have to do better, that's all.

Across the room he saw the Granger mudblood flash an O at a Weasley. He hated her for it, but instead of the hot blooded anger that made one feel alive he was filled with a cold animosity that chilled his blood and gave him despair. He couldn't even do better than a mudblood and he dared called himself a Malfoy. His father would be furious but it wouldn't be nearly as great as the self deprecation he already felt.

With a sharp shake of the head he cleared all emotions from his mind, he could deal with those later, and took out one of the transfiguration books he had gotten from the library that morning and began to read.

"Come on Malfoy, you can do better," Marcus Flint, leader of the Slytherin quidditch team, yelled.

Draco gritted his teeth and turned tighter, muscles pulling taut as he did so. The team had already been out on the field for several hours and the strain was starting to show. Everyone's flying was starting to get sloppy. Flint was being particularly hard on Draco, who was on the team because his father had brought everyone new brooms. If the Slytherin team was going to win the quidditch cup this year everyone was going to have to work hard and if Draco didn't pull his weight Flint would have no qualms about sending the kid packing. Money doesn't mean everything, or particularly anything in quidditch.

At Flint's call the team ran through the formation again. Draco faltered slightly as he made a sharp right turn, weaving between the bludgers and acting as a decoy as the chasers swooped in to score. Flint gave a nod of approval and made them run through several more drills before letting them off the leash.

Draco stumbled once off his broom but quickly caught himself. His hands shook from hunger and fatigue; he hadn't eaten anything yet. He ignored it and hurried to the lockers, determined to be the first one in the showers.

He hated the locker room. Everyone was always looking at everyone, comparing muscles or chest hair. All of the guys on the team had rippling muscles that made Draco look at his own skeletal figure in dismay. He hated how he looked, hated it ,and the lockers made it worse by welcoming everyone else to look at him as well.

He washed quickly and hurried to his school robes, hoping to get away before anyone else came out of the showers. He was in no such luck as Flint walked through the doors, toweling off his hair, just as Draco was pulling on his pants.

"Still as skinny as ever," Flint joked, poking Malfoy's side.

Draco covered his side, self conscious of his prominent ribs and visible hip bones.

"Aren't you smaller than the broom by this point?" Adrian Pucey, a chaser, sneered as he came up on Draco's otherside. Draco ignored them and pulled on his shirt, hoping it would hide his ugly body.

Flint and Pucey made a couple more comments about Draco's body and he quickly left followed by the laughter of his team mates. He hated them, all of them, he hated quidditch as well. He never wanted to be on the bloody team in the first place. It was his father who wanted him to be a quidditch star, not him.

With a tired sigh he trudged back to the castle, wondering if he should check if the library was still open. Dinner was already over. Flint would take the rest of the team down to the kitchens but he prefered not to eat with people. It had become an unsavory experience.

The appearance of footsteps before him halted his progress and brought his head up. Ronald Weasley, son of that blood traitor Arthur Weasley, stood before him. As despair washed over him in wake of the unwanted confrontation he placed on an arrogant mask, perfect for dealing with a Weasley.

"What do you want Weasley? Trying to find some knuts to help feed your parents? I'm sure they went broke after having to buy all your school things." Draco sneered. Ron's face twisted in anger.

"At least I didn't have to buy my way onto the quidditch team!" Ron shouted. Draco winced internally, but didn't let it show.

"At least I wasn't put on the team out of pity," Draco retorted. Ronald had recently been appointed as the Gryffindor keeper, something that Ron keep boasting about in the hallways.

"You bloody git!" Ron balled his hands into fist. Draco wondered if the redhead would actually hit him. He wouldn't fight back. It would be nice to feel the pain, know he was alive.

"Are you trying to mess with out seeker?" Draco stiffened as Flint came up behind him with several others from the team. While Flint had no problems harassing his own team no one else was allowed to do so.

Ron paled and muttered an excuse before hurrying back to the castle. Flint turned on Draco, grabbing his shoulder.

"You tell us if any Gryffindor tries to mess with you again," Flint said. Draco nodded and continued for the castle, nerves jangled.

Forgetting his plan to go to the library Draco headed towards the third floor bathroom. After last year the third floor had earned a taboo that kept many from coming up here and allowed a quiet place for when Draco needed to get away from everyone.

He ducked into the first bathroom and headed to the far wall before sinking to the floor, legs weak. All the emotions he had tucked away during the day resurfaced and he hide his face in his knees, breathing hard as he rode wave after wave of negative emotions. At some point his stomach barged in, causing him to curl in pain as it reminded him that he had eaten nothing that day and had just gotten back from an exhausting quidditch practice.

He eyed his bag on the floor next to him, remembering the sugar quills. He knew he shouldn't eat them. Sugar quills were just pure sugar, full of fat and horribly unhealthy. If he ate them he would just hate himself, just like he did after everytime he ate any sweet. But at the same time he was so hungry and he didn't know where the kitchens were. Logically he knew he should just wait for tomorrow. He could find something low fat and low calorie, like fruit, at breakfast. But at the same time…

Already filled with self hate at his own weakness Draco grabbed out the box of sugar quills and, after looking to make sure no one was around, quickly ate it with small precise bites. He ate a second and was halfway through a third when his stomach revolted. After not eating sugar in over two years the sudden intake made his stomach acids roil. Biting his lip Draco decided that finishing the sugar quill wouldn't hurt. That led to a fourth and a fifth and a sixth. Draco stopped and looked at the nearly empty box of sugar quills. His stomach felt uncomfortably full and the sensation made him nauseous. Knowing that he wouldn't stop eating until they were all gone unless he got rid of them now he flung the box from him. His stomach still gurgled uncomfortably. With a sound that was nearly a sob he walked down one of the toilet and stuck his finger down his throat, forcing everything back up. He knew better than to eat so much, he knew better, he knew better…

It took him several minutes to get everything back up and he dry heaved for a couple of minutes to make sure. His throat burned and his mouth was filled with the awful taste of vomit. He hurried to his bag, ashamed of himself, and grabbed a toothbrush. All he wanted to do was brush his teeth and get this taste out of his mouth, then sleep for as long as he could.

Guilt tried to eat at him but at the same time there was that feeling of relief that always manifested itself after he had purged himself. He couldn't explain it. After two years of making himself throw up and forcing himself not to eat, sometimes for days on end, he still couldn't explain why he did it or the small sense of control it gave him over his life. Regret would always gnaw at him when he stopped to think about his actions but they were always outweighed by the slight peace he gained.

He headed for the sinks, eager to get the taste out of his mouth. Even though forcing himself to vomit made him feel better the taste in his mouth was the worse. He supposed he could use magic but there was a sense of satisfaction in actually brushing everything away, replacing it with a fresh, minty taste.

"That's not a good idea," a small voice to his left said. He turned in horror, a startled cry leaving his lips. His mind raced at the possibly that someone had saw him, that someone knew! Someone could destroy him with this information. If his father found out… he shuddered at the thought.

Harry stood just inside the door, looking timid. Draco balked at the sight, wondering just how much the boy had seen.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked in a voice of supposed authority, ignoring the wavering sound and shaking hands.

Harry shrugged. "Toyomoto-hime told me to come in here. I think she sensed your distress."

"I was not distressed!" Draco said, voice breaking far too much to be the truth. Clearing his throat Draco tried again. "How long were you here? What did you see?"

"I saw you throwing up," Harry said. The taste in Draco's mouth, gagging him. His nails dug into his palms as he listened to Harry's words. "I saw you made yourself throw up," Harry frowned, brow crinkling.

Draco nearly sobbed at the words. Someone knew. He was fucked, he was so fucked. Everyone knew only girls had eating disorders. He was a freak, sick. His father would hate him his mother would be disappointed in him. His head dropped to his chest, no longer caring about appearances. What did they matter at this point in the game?

He was so lost in misery that he jumped when he heard Harry's next words, almost forgetting the boy.

"It's not good to brush your teeth right after you throw up," Harry said. "It just rubs the stomach acid all over your teeth and damages them. It's better to neutralize the acid by swishing around baking soda or water."

Draco nodded slowly, not knowing this. God, he couldn't even throw up correctly. He had been doing this for years and had been brushing his teeth, damaging his teeth. Looked like he couldn't do anything right.

Without ceremony Draco plopped onto the floor, unwilling to stand anymore. His world was slowly fraying at the edges and soon everything he knew would be lost. He knew the stories of what happened to people with eating disorders in the wizarding world. They either got ostracized or they got drugged. Just about everyone got drugged, Draco thought with a grim smile, even his own mother had been drugged when she was pregnant with him, something about keeping her calm. Most pregnant women were drugged.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. Draco looked up slowly, not surprised to see that Harry was now kneeling next to him, a look of concern shining out of those foggy green eyes. As if struck by something funny he began to laugh, shoulders shaking. It was the first time he had laughed in a while and it felt good but all too soon the laughter dissolved into tears and sobs rang throughout the bathroom, echoing cruelly.

"Malfoy?" the word was distant, "Malfoy?" falling like the thrumming of rain, the soft rise giving it life as it shatter on the cold ground. Everything was over, everything was over, everything was…

"Draco?" the word caught his attention and his head lifted in reaction, tears still blinding his vision. Why didn't this boy just let him be?

"Draco," Harry said once more. This time the word was like a rising rainbow after the rain. Draco wiped clumsily at his tears, mumbling something in excuse. He started to stand, planning on getting out of here as soon as possible, but a warm hand on his wrist, as gently as a dove's wings, stopped him.

"It's going to be okay," Harry said with a small smile of comfort. Draco's eyes widened at the words, not even realizing that he had been yearning to hear them until now, before his eyes narrowed as more tears threatened to escape.

"How can you say that?" Draco gasped. "After everything you just saw how can you say that? If anyone else finds out I'm fucked, so entirely fucked! My parents will hate me, the school will treat me like a freak, I'll probably be kicked off the quidditch team. I mean, it's already bad enough that I can't even do better than a mudblood. If people find out about this…" his gasp were starting to sound like sobs again. "I'm fucked, so fucked… How can I even explain this? How can you explain that you're just some sick fuck who is so fucked in the head that he won't eat and makes himself throw up and actually enjoys it? I actually enjoy it, I enjoy making myself suffer, I enjoy ruining my body. The fuck is wrong with me!? I mean-" his tirade of self-hate was cut off as warm arms embraced him. He was stunned, smooshed against Harry's shoulder, as he was held awkwardly. He hadn't been hugged in… years. His parents had deemed him too old for hugs and his friends weren't the hugging type.

Finally finding his voice he managed to choke out a question. "What are you doing?" his voice was strangled and odd, not sounding like his own. Suddenly he was released, a small pang of regret shot threw him before he could correct himself.

"I'm sorry," Harry said as he pulled away. Draco's eyes widened as he saw tears on the other boy's cheeks. "I didn't mean to, I just…" his voice trailed off.

"Why are you crying?" Draco asked, utterly confused. Had he said something to upset the boy so much he had started crying? Maybe it had been because he used the word mudblood. The boy was the brother of the boy who lived so it would make sense.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled again. "It's just… You were so sad and so worried and to think you've been going through all of that alone…" Harry sniffled. "You're so strong,"

Draco scoffed at that. Him, strong, yeah right. But still, the boy seemed genuine, so maybe there was some truth in it…

Taking a deep breath he prepared to ask his next question, fearful of the answer. "Are you going to tell everyone about… my problem…?" He didn't dare look at Harry, preferring to keep his eyes on the ground before him.

"Of course not," Harry said, the words calming and soothing. "Why would I do that?"

Draco looked up, about to tell him exactly why he would do such a thing but stopped at the gentle look of sadness on the other boys face. Even though Him and his friends had spied on Harry for the first couple weeks of school they hadn't learnt very much about him, mostly that he seemed to apathetic all of the time and he liked to read odd books. Never before had Draco seen so much emotion on Harry's face, and never something so tender.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, confused.

Harry cocked his head at this, as though perplexed. "Should I not? Am I doing something wrong? I just wanted to help… If I'm making it worse I can go," Harry started to rise.

"NO!" the word burst unbidden from Draco's lips as he flung out a hand. Harry paused, looking at him expectedly. "I mean, no, it's fine, you don't have to go. Why don't you just stay here and we can talk a little." Draco scooted over slightly, patting the area next him. Harry sat back down. This time they sat knee to knee rather than face to face. Draco bit his lip, wondering if he should say anything, scared that he would screw up if he tried. Harry took the decision from Draco.

"Why did you start?" he asked.

Draco paused, not knowing how to answer. He could tell Harry about the pressure of having to be the perfect Malfoy, how his weight had always been watched, even as a child, about the feelings of control and relief, about the fear that if he didn't control this aspect of his life the rest of his life would fall into chaos as well. But instead he simply said, "I don't know,"

Harry nodded, seemingly taking that as an answer. "For how long,"

"Two years," Draco whispered, closing his eyes as he said it outloud. It hurt him, knowing that this had been going on for so long. It also made him wonder if this would affect his growth. He tried not to think about it, too scared to.

"That's a long time." Harry said. Draco just nodded.

There was a lapse of silence. Draco worried his lip, wondering if he should ask. Faintly he could hear his mother chastising him for biting his lip, saying it would give him chapped lips, and he stopped with a sigh.

"How long have you been on medication?" he finally asked.

This time it was Harry who paused. Finally he confessed, in a voice no more than a whisper, "I don't know…"

Draco glanced at Harry in surprised but decided not to ask. Everyone had a right to their secrets and even if Harry knew about some of his biggest ones he had no right to pry into his.

They sat in silence for some time. Their knees were pressed together and Draco found himself staring at them more often than not. Touch in the Slytherin house was rare, even among couples. It was nice though, touch. He wondered why people didn't do it more often, even just little touches. It was nice.

After a while and a few yawn from both parties Draco fully looked over at Harry. Harry looked back at him with sleepy eyes and a s soft grin of comfort. Draco gave a small grin in return. "It's getting late. We should head back to the common house."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. You should probably rinse out your mouth first. It's been enough time that you can brush your teeth if you want to."

Draco nodded and stood stiffly, joints popping in protest. He headed over to the sink and quickly gargled some water before brushing his teeth. When he was done he looked over to Harry, who had relocated to a nearby sink.

"How do you know all this? About the stomach acid and baking soda and stuff?" he asked. He watched as a brief flicker of panic played across Harry's eyes replaced by flinch and confusion.

"I don't know," Harry finally said. "I can't remember?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at this information, storing it for later, and began collecting his things, ignoring the box of sugar quills in the corner. Now that he was emotionally stable he felt silly about the way he had acted. The need for sleep tugged at his embarrassment, forcing it away for now, and he yawned.

They began making their way to the dungeons. Draco noted that Harry had no school stuff but chose not to remark on it. He was exhausted both emotionally and physically, he didn't want to deal with any mysteries. He'd just figure everything out tomorrow.

"Hey Malfoy," Harry asked, breaking Draco from the sleepy daze he had sunk into as they had walked.

Draco shook his head, trying to wake up some. "Yeah?"

"I'm heading to the library tomorrow morning in the off period and was wondering if you'd like to join me?" Harry asked, a slight blush on his face. "I know we're not friends or anything but I thought-"

"That sounds like a great idea," Draco agreed. "I wanted to see about more books for transfigurations and I need to research the 16c goblin wars,"

"I can help you with transfigurations if you'd like," Harry said timidly. "I'm really bad at the practical but I know most of the theory,"

Draco eyed the other boy warily before shrugging, seeing what they other boy knew couldn't hurt. "Thank you,"

Harry just nodded, still blushing Draco saw to his amusement.

They parted at the boys dorm rooms, saying a brief farewell lost in yawns before trudging off to bed.

Draco forwent the shower, glad he had showered after quidditch, and simply washed his face, still avoiding the mirror. He wondered if he could get the house elves to remove it for him. He would have to find them first though.

With a jaw cracking yawn Draco pulled on an oversized pair of fluffy pajama bottoms and a ratty old shirt. Even though his mother made sure he had new silk pajamas every year he didn't like wearing them. They felt too alien. Even though these pajamas looked horrendous they were soft and comforting, something that he loved.

He crawled into bed and burrowed into the oversized comforter, only the tip of his head peeking out. In the morning he would have to study for several of his classes and look over transfigurations again, possibly seeing if there was an extra credit assignment he could do, all while living with the fact that Harry Potter, brother to the boy who lived, knew his filthy secret, but that night he slept soundly without a single nightmare.

****Chapter End

Once again, this is unbeta'd and I will put the beta'd one laterz

Tell me what you guys think about this one, I wanna hear. Add any critiques you might have. Thanks!


	10. A New Friend

A week passed before Harry or Draco came in contact again. In that week Draco watched Harry carefully, scared that the brother of the boy who lived would say something, but Harry kept silent and to himself, just as before. Draco relaxed as the threat Harry posed receded and he concentrated once more on his school work, frantic now that semester over views were coming up. He just had to do better than Granger. He was afraid of what his father would say if he didnt.

He ran into Harry later by the common room entryway. Harry was sitting by the entrance, reading as usual. He didn't recognize the title but he could tell it wasn't a school book.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. Harry looked up from his book, blinking owlishly.

"Oh, hi Draco," Harry glanced at his book. "I was reading."

"I can see why. Why are you reading out here? Why not in the common room or your room?"  
Harry shrugged. "I forgot the password."

"You forgot…?" he stopped to study the boy. Harry looked the same as usual, untidy black hair and unfocused eyes. He gave a sigh and moved closer to the door.

"The password is basilisk," the door slid open and Harry nodded, getting to his feet. Draco's eyebrows furrowed with a sudden thought. "Do you forget the password a lot?"

Harry shrugged again. "I don't know, maybe?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the odd boy and ducked into the common room. "Well, if you forget it again just find me."

Harry gave a small smile, "Thank you Draco,"

Draco stilled at the sound of his first name. No one in Slytherin called each other by their first name unless they were close friends or bonded in some way. Then again, after that scene a few days prior he couldn't deny that they were bonded in some way. He waved the thanks off.

"No problem, I'll see you around, okay,"

Harry nodded. Draco hurried to his room, needing to study for the herbology test on wednesday. He hoped the books he got from the library would help but he doubted it. It was a practical test and he was not the best with plants. With a frustrated groan he threw himself into studying.

The next morning Draco rose much earlier than anyone should on a weekend. He thought about sleeping in just a little bit later, then he thought about school work. He still had an essay he needed to finish plus he wanted to check over his star chart and make sure everything was correct. There was also that extra credit assignment he had gotten from professor McGonagall and that had to be perfect.

With a groan he got out of bed and dressed. He grabbed his school bad and headed for the library.

The common room was deserted, everyone still sleeping in. Then, much to his surprise, Harry came down the stairs. He stopped.

"What are you doing up?"

Harry looked at him a moment before his eyes focused. A sudden joy lit Harry's green eyes, showing more emotion than Harry had shown to Draco since first year.

"Hey Draco. I'm just heading to the hospital wing, you?" Harry was smiling, actually smiling, not the usual soft smile he normally had. It was surreal to see.

He shook his head slightly to clear his head. "I was going to the library. I had a few assignments I needed to look over."

"MInd if I walk with you part of the way?" Harry asked. Draco just nodded and the two fell in step with each other. It took a few moments but Draco noticed the book in Harry's hand.

"Why are you bringing a book with you to the hospital wing?" he asked.

"Oh, I was planning on reading by the lake later," Harry gave a slight laugh. It was such an odd gesture from the usually apathetic boy.

A sudden hiss from Harry's sleeve reminded him of Harry's snake, Toyomoto-hime. Harry hissed back, a sound that sent tingles down his spine.

"What is she saying?"

"Toyomoto-hime? She's just hungry, as usual," Harry smiled fondly as he stroked Toyomoto-hime's head. She hissed lazily.

"How'd you find her?" Draco asked, captivated by the snake. He longed to touch her but was scared the motion would be unwelcome.

Harry laughed again. "More like she found me! I was just reading outside and next thing I know she's slithering up to me , being showy and changing her colours."  
Toyomoto-hime gave what Draco can only describe as an angry hiss, scales rippling red. Harry merely chuckled. "See, there you go again."

It was so surreal seeing this new Harry. Draco kept waiting for the moment his alarm would go off and he would wake up. There was no way this was the Harry he knew. Yet, as he pinched himself, he was forced with this strange reality that he couldn't say he hated. It was odd, but not bad. He kind of liked this Harry, truth be told.

Draco was broken from his reflection as cool scales ghosted over his skin and a sudden weight settled around his neck. A tongue flicked out and touched his collarbone. He froze, waiting for the sting of bit accompanied by fangs sinking into his skin. Yet, after a few moments of heart pounding fear, he realized he hadn't been bitten and Harry was laughing.

"What's going on?" Draco asked slowly, hoping it wouldn't disturb the snake around his neck.

"Toyomoto-hime decided she was sick of me and decided to run away," Harry explained. "Apparently she likes you,"

Draco looked at him questioningly and Harry shrugged.

"She doesn't like many people and only lets a few pet her. She's never willingly touched a person besides me, something about them being too unclean, but she seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Draco asked, slowly growing use to the sensation of having a snake coiled around his neck. With a daring hand he reached up to stroke her scales. Toyomoto-hime gave a hiss of satisfaction.

Harry gave another shrug. "I don't know. Hopefully you're not afraid of snakes because I don't think she's leaving you anytime soon."

Draco blanched. "Wait-what? For how long?"

Harry hissed something to his snake quickly. "Um, she says you're her new human so for a few hours, possibly all day."

Draco sighed. "She's not going to randomly bite me, right?"

"Nah, she wouldn't do that., just make sure she's properly fed or else she will throw a fit."

Draco hung his head slightly. There went his plans for flying today. He lifted his head and was shocked to see they were at the hospital wing. When had they gotten here? He was supposed to at the library.

"If you want I can grab some food for her after I get my potion," Harry offered. Draco tried to eye the snake around his neck. It was a good deal but he didn't want to be alone with the snake, just in case she demanded something and he didn't know what she wanted. He would like to get through this day bite free.

"I'll come with you," Draco decided.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Harry ducked into the hospital wing, leaving Draco to pet Toyomoto-hime, hoping he was doing it right.

A few minutes later Harry came back, this time with the familiar dazed look in his eyes. With a sigh he followed Harry through the hallways till they came near the Hufflepuff common room.

"Aren't we going to the kitchen?" he asked.

Harry shook his head and stopped in front of a picture of fruit. Draco watched as Harry reached up to tickle the pear. The pear gave a deep chuckle and the portrait swung open, allowing Harry and Draco to duck inside.

Draco stopped as he saw house elves bustle around, carrying platters of food, silverware, tablecloths, or cooking at the huge ovens and stove, stirring, dicing, kneading. The room was large but seemed small with the level of activity within. The smell of thousands of dishes assaulted his senses. It was overwhelming.

"Where are we?" Draco asked, eyes wide.

"This is the kitchens," Harry said as he headed over to a small, unattended stove.

Draco realized Harry was no longer by his side and hurriedly followed the other boy, scared that he would be swept away in the wave of activity.

"What are we doing here?"

"I'm going to make something for Toyomoto-hime," Harry said. "She's very picky,"

Draco nodded and took a seat at an unattended table, watching as Harry began bustling about. Deciding that he could use this time to do something productive he grabbed out his astrology book from his back and began checking his star chart, making corrections in red ink.

Suddenly two plates appeared in front of him. He blinked and looked at Harry. Harry gave a soft smile and sat across from him.

"One's for Toyomoto-hime and the other's for you," Harry explained.

"Thanks but I'm not really that hungry," Draco lied. He hadn't eaten in thirty-two hours and his body was demanding nutrients.

Harry shrugged. "It's just a simple fruit salad and plain toast. The fruit is healthy and the bread is homemade whole grain."

Draco paused, his stomach growling loudly. "Alright, but only a little,"

Harry nodded. "The other plate is for Toyomoto-hime. She's grown fond of omelets with chives lately."

As Harry spoke Toyomoto-hime slithered her way down Draco's arm and began eating. He watched her for a few moment before slowly eating his food, picking slightly at the toast and cutting the fruit into small pieces before eating them slowly. After a few bites he was already full, his stomach having shrunken after years of semi-starvation.

"Thank you…" he murmured quietly.

Harry hummed in response. Draco was surprised to see that Harry had only eaten about half of his plate as well.

"Not hungry?" he asked.

"It's the medication. I don't have much of an appetite anymore." Harry explained.

That was odd, usually medication helped a person, not hindered them. "Why are you still on it then?"

Harry suddenly gained a distant gaze. "I don't know. They said it was for magical seizures."

"Oh…"

They lapsed into silence, Draco sitting awkwardly as Harry sat, lost in the past. He wondered what it must be like, to be medicated all the time. Maybe it would be nice, to have no more feeling. But then he remembered the Harry from earlier, the one who seemed alive, and thought about how horrible it would be to be forced to watch life through dead eyes, only being yourself for a few moments each day. It would be hell.

After Toyomoto-hime finished eating the dishes were whisked away by far too eager house elves. Draco decided to stick with Harry for the day due to the snake who had coiled back around his neck. By this time there was several people making their way to the great hall and several exclamations at the snake around Draco's neck but for the most part it was quiet.

Draco followed Harry outside and to the lake, near the edge of the forbidden forest. Harry curled up underneath a tree and began to read. Draco followed in suit and pulled out several school books and an essay he wanted to finish.

There was no one outside and there was a soft peace all around, a peace Draco could never find in the library. A gentle wind stirred the lake and cast ripples through the water and grass. Unable to concentrate on the theory of gravity in relevance to the transfiguration of falling objects he looked up to see himself lost in a world of rippling waves. Harry was still reading, unaware of the world. Draco looked in awe at the grounds. Even the forbidden forest looked fantastic, the lower half of the trees still clouded in mist. Several dark, horse-like shapes loped between the silhouetted trees and he strained to try to make them out. With wide eyes he sat and watched, never before having seen the grounds like this. It was as though it was a different world.

A nudging at his side broke his reverie. He looked over to find a small squirrel-like creature pawing at his shirt. It had two bushy tails and black markings across its strawberry gold body with slanted black eyes and sharp tiny teeth. He blinked, never before having seen or heard of a creature like this.

"Hello there," he said softly. The creature's tail grew bushier and its too big ears laid flat. Slowly he held his hand out. With a tiny growl the creature pounced on it and bit his pinky, breaking the flesh. He winced but continued holding his hand out. After a few minutes the creature calmed, it's fur falling flat, and released his hand.

"Thank you," he said is a calming voice. The creature licked the small pinpricks of blood and nuzzled his hand with its cool nose. He gently pet its head. The creature made a small noise that sounded like a mix between a cat and a fox and curled by his leg.

A small hiss reminded him of Toyomoto-hime and he looked to see her eyeing the creature.

"No Toyomoto-hime," he warned. She seemingly listened to him and relaxed back around his neck, though she kept an eye on the creature.

He looked over to see if Harry had noticed any of this at all. Harry was watching him and gave a small smile before going back to his book. Draco shrugged and made a mental note to look up magical creature later and took out his essay for potions, still having three more inches to finish.

****Chapter End

Ay, so, I'm still alive. Sorry for the delay. This is a pretty slow chapter. Stuff might start picking up soon, still trying to decide what to do with second year. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll try and update soon. Ciao

Thanks for all the reviews and whatnot!


	11. Interlude

So I've decided to do an interlude for my 'forgotten children' in the story. Every so often I will put one of these interludes in depicting a brief overview of the life of a child. This one is a test run. Tell me if you like this idea or not. Thanks, enjoy!

Draco Lucius Malfoy was raised from a very young age to be the perfect heir. He was a miracle child that came shortly after the news that Narcissa would never be able to conceive. It was only through the use of liberal amounts of potions and mandatory bed rest was Draco brought into this world. By the age of three he had already decided he no longer wanted to be in this world.

Lucius was thrilled with the child, especially since it was a boy. While he was disappointed in the lack of magical strength in the child he decided that could be helped with rigorous training. He told everyone about his son and bragged endlessly.

Narcissa hated the child in his youth. When she first saw his blood covered body she was filled with repulsion that she had made the very thing that had torn her apart. She ignored the child at all cost, forcing the house elves to deal with it. She breast fed for the first three days, holding the child stiffly as she closed off all emotion, trying to endure it. On the fourth day the child bit down just a little too hard and she threw it. An house elf had caught the child before he had been hurt. After that Narcissa didn't see the child for a year and in that year she was almost… happy.

Lucius was not happy with this arrangement, especially since there was those who whispered at the ministry. He was supposed to have the perfect family yet his wife was ruining it. After a year of her selfish behavior he took her to an obscure hospital in Asia. There she was given a potion endorsed with a spell that caused her to love her son. Her memory of the trip was erased and when they returned home Lucius had his perfect family.

When Draco was two Lucius began giving him lessons in magic. It started off as simple charms, levitation and the such, but quickly progressed into far more complicated areas of study. He was only three when he began the dark arts. He was terrified, the magic far too wild for a child. Often when he got a spell wrong the magic was rebound, leaving him with bloody gashes. His father's sharp rebuke always followed. He was forced to heal all his own wounds, leaving him with a collection of scars to this day. Whenever he couldn't learn something fast enough Lucius would punish him, commoning leaving him without food and drink or letting him hang in the dungeons.

Narcissa turned a blind eye to all of this, unwilling to acknowledge this reality, preferring the perfect day dream she built in her mind. Draco had tried to tell his mother about the wounds and the punishments that his father did but his mother had laughed him off, saying that his half healed wounds were from playing outside and told him not to let his imagination run away with him. When he had pushed the issue, insisting that his father had hurt him Narcissa slapped him. His cheek had stung and tears burned his eyes. With a shaking voice he apologized for lying and scurried to his room.

When he was five Lucius decided that only worthy friends for his son would be Crabbe and Goyle's kids. From then on Crabbe and Goyle would come over at least once a week and Draco would be forced to play with them. They were mean and crass but he held himself like a proper gentleman and acted as a perfect host.

At six Draco had no more baby fat, spoke like an adult, and had impeccable manners. Lucius would often bring him to dinner parties and balls, eager to show him off. He would be placed with the other children but they would never play with him, saying that he was too different and teased him. After a few of these incidences he began to bring books to read instead, having taught himself in the hopes his father would be proud of him. Of course Lucius would just scoff at the title, saying it was far too pedantic.

A strict diet was enforced at the age of eight when Narcissa grew afraid Draco would grow fat with all the fine dining they did. Draco never complained once, even as his meals were shortened to one a day. It wasn't until he fainted and had to be hospitalized for malnutrition that Narcissa finally did away with the diet. He ate as a normal child for a a couple of years until Lucius made an offhanded comment about him growing fat again. Sickened to the point of physical illness Draco began restricting his diet again, growing progressively worse as he entered school, going as far as the make himself throw up. He hated what he did to himself but he hated the idea of losing his parents even more. He had to look like the perfect Malfoy and he would.

Since he was a child he vowed to be the perfect heir, a son his parents could be proud of. He worked hard in his studies, practiced hard at quidditch, carried himself with grace, and looked impeccable. Everything he did was for his parents. And that is why when he received the scathing letters from his parents late in October he was shattered.


	12. The Panopticon Writings

"What are you reading today?" Draco asked as Harry opened a book. Harry looked over, dazed eyes taking a moment to focus on Draco.

"'The Panopticon Writings'," came the answer a few moments later.

"Oh," Draco scrunched up his nose. "I've never heard of that before. Is it a muggle novel?"

After the first day when Draco had sat with Harry he had found that the black haired boy had a fascination for muggle novels. It was odd, he had never seen anyone else read a muggle novel at Hogwarts, even the muggleborns, yet Harry went through muggle novels as though they were sweets. Draco was sure that if Harry read as much school novels as he did muggle novels Harry would be top of their class. When he had pointed that out to Harry the boy had merely shrugged and went back to reading. He didn't see the appeal of muggle novels but then again he hadn't actually read one. Maybe he would this summer, if he had time.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," with that Harry turned back to his novel.

Draco looked around for Pansy or Blaise, glad to see them entering the Great Hall, late as always. They plopped down near him and Pansy groaned.

"Professor Snape is trying to kill us with that essay of his. A full twenty-one pages by tomorrow, bloody Merlin!" Pansy heaved a dramatic sigh.

Draco, used to such drama, gave a light shrug. "We have had a week to work on it and his door is always open for questions."

"For you," Blaise said as he stuck out his tongue. "You're his godson,"

Draco fought the sudden rage that coiled in his gut at the fact that everyone, even his friends, thought that Snape went easy on him just because he was his godson. It was such a lie, if anything he had to work harder to impress Snape. But Blaise was his friend and he wouldn't snap over something so trivial, even if it was a sore spot.

"Snape criticizes Draco more than anyone of us," Harry suddenly piped up, drawing odd glances from Pansy and Blaise, as though they had just realized Harry was there.

"Err.." Pansy said. "We were just teasing…?"

Harry didn't respond, already lost in his book again. Draco, while grateful for Harry sticking up for him, hated the awkward silence that he had left.

While Pansy and Blaise didn't detest Harry or even dislike him, Harry was the oddball of Slytherin and the fact that Draco, the self proclaimed prince, had befriended him made the two question the relationship. When Pansy and Blaise had first found out about their friendship both of them had freaked, questioning him thoroughly. Thankfully, two days later, Pansy and Blaise had grown used to Harry hanging around, though they never knew what to say when Harry piped randomly into conversations, often causing silences like this one.

"So, who finished the transfiguration homework?" Blaised asked, bringing a welcome end to the silence. Pansy jumped at the conversation started and Draco joined in, glad to have his friends.

"Don't forget to turn in your essay," Snape drawled at the end of class. Draco, along with the rest of class, grumbled as they grabbed out their essay and placed it on Snape's desk. Draco looked for Harry, knowing how forgetful the boy was, and saw him still sitting at the desk, gathering his things.

"Want me to turn your essay in?" he offered.

"I turned it in yesterday," Harry said. "I forgot it was due today,"

Draco opened his mouth to question the statement before deciding not to. Sometimes Harry made absolutely no sense. Personally, Draco blamed the drugs. Harry always seemed fine before he took that little potion every morning. It made Harry dazed and forgetful, even about things like wearing shoes or where classrooms are. Draco had a feeling that if Toyomoto-hime didn't constantly remind Harry he would forget to feed her too.

Speaking of the devil Toyomoto-hime left her perch from Harry's forearm and slithered on his. Since the day she had kidnapped him Toyomoto-hime and taken a liking to him, randomly appearing at his side and slithering onto him. Because of her rumors were starting to fly that he was another parseltongue hellbent on taking over the school.

With a sigh he stroked Toyomoto-hime's scales, earning a hiss of pleasure in response. Harry looked over and gave a soft semi-smile, the one he usually gave. "She likes you,"

Draco wondered if Harry remembered that he said that just about every time Toyomoto-hime curled onto him. He hefted his bag onto his shoulder, making sure it didn't bother Toyomoto-hime. "So I've heard," he said with a mock glare directed at the snake in question. What sounded like a smug hiss was his reply and he gave a sigh of exasperation. This damned snake was going to be the end of him.

Snape eyed Draco and Harry. It had only been a couple of days since the two boys had become friends. He idly wondered how long it would be before Lucius found out. That man was sure to disapprove of the friendship, especially because Harry was the brother of the boy who lived.

The sudden friendship was an odd one and wholly unsuspected. Draco had come to him two days ago with a snake still wrapped around his neck, asking for Snape to check his essay. Of course he had questioned the snake and soon after found out that Harry was reading in the hallway waiting for Draco. With some quick questions and legilimency to make sure Draco wasn't in any mortal danger due to Harry or the snake he had let the matter drop, seeing as Draco was occluding to keep him from seeing how they met and became friends. While the shield was weak he had decided to respect Draco's privacy and even congratulated the boy on his occlumency.

Dragged back to the future by a small charm on his wrist vibrating, letting him know it was time to change classes, he called out for everyone to turn their essay in. Groaning and the rustling of papers, along with a few trying to scribble down a couple more phrases, filled the room until his desk was piled high with scrolls. With a quick charm he summoned the remaining essays from the students trying to finish them at the last second and threw them away, assigning the three detention for incompetence. Later he would go through and read the essays, see if they were utter trash, but for now he had to make an example and ensure that they would never pull something like this again. They were in their second year, no more babying.

The three students grumbled and huffed out of the room. He rolled his eyes at the melodrama and levitated the scrolls to his private chambers to grade them in peace. Thank god for off periods.

He looked over at the scroll already by his armchair, graded. Potter had brought it in the other day, muttering something about it being late. Potter was an odd child, so forgetful. He hoped that Draco's friendship might help the boy academically. Merlin know that the boy had talent, the boy just didn't have the focus. Such a shame really.

He toyed with the idea of going to the headmaster about it. Perhaps he could modify the potion the boy was on to help with his focus. It shouldn't be too hard, though it would require several test and a lot of time spent with Potter. Plus there would be legal issues and he really didn't want to deal with Lily again. They had had such a spectacular falling out and he rather not relive that.

Maybe if the boy kept showing potential he would, for now he turned to his stack of essays and grabbed the first one. With a smirk he saw it was Granger. While she was a bloody Gryffindor she was rather good at potions. Looked like he wouldn't have to turn to drink too early in his quest to finish grading all of these by the end of his period. He immediately took back those words and poured himself a glass as the next essay belonged to none other than Crabbe.

By the time the next class of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came around Snape was on his third tumbler of firewhiskey. While drinking was discouraged for the teachers it was the only thing that kept him from failing everyone as he read through the atrocities of second year essays. He was actually glad as he stormed into his classroom and began terrorizing the Hufflepuffs.

Later that night he finished the rest of the essays and was just about to get ready for bed when a knock came at his door. A quick spell let him know it was one of his perfects and he opened it, hoping for their sake that they had a good reason.

"Yes? Is there something you need?"

The perfect, Ivy Chadaloupe, straightened up. "Sir, there was a first year wandering into the forbidden forest."

"At this time at night?" Snape cast a tempus charm only to find it well past one in the morning.

"Yes sir," the girl replied. "I couldn't tell who it was though. Should I go get them?"

Snape ran a hand through his hair. "That's okay, the forest is not safe at nights. I'll go get them."

The perfect nodded and stood awkwardly until he dismissed her. He ducked back inside to grab a cloak and his wand. It was starting to get chilly at nights and he'd rather not be shivering as he tried to find the foolish first year who decided to go a little bit of rule breaking.

He tried to think of a first year who would be inclined to do such a thing but no one came to mind. Maybe it was a Hufflepuff. Probably was a Hufflepuff. Damn Hufflepuffs.

Once outside he made a beeline for the forest, bent on getting the child and back inside where it was warm and he couldn't see his breath. He couldn't see anyone inside the first layer of trees, where most rule breakers went, too scared to go any further. With a growl he made his way into the forest, senses open. Unable to hear or see anyone he closed his eyes and opened his mind. Long tentacles of thought, clear and barely visible in the dim, reached out, searching for another mind to connect to. Silently the tentacles wove in between the trees and past several magical beast before sensing another presence. Snape opened his eyes and followed the presence deep into the forest, farther than he'd ever gone before.

It took half an hour of trudging through the forest until he came to a groove. A tree, larger than any he'd ever seen before, stood in the middle with dropping branches and brushed against the ground. The roots covered the ground and disappeared into the forest, creating holes with bottoms he could not see, along with little nooks and crannies. As he stopped to marvel a small squirrel like creature with bat ears skittered near him, cocking its head to the side. He did the same, unable to name the creature though he was well versed in the magical creatures in the forest. With a small chirping noise the creature took off, disappearing into one of the holes. Vowing to look up the creature later he followed the presence through a maze of roots.

As he neared what he could only guess was the core of the tree small flowers begun to appear, growing on vines that had twined themselves onto the branches. They glowed dimly in the light, like little stars. The light gave him glimpses of creatures he didn't recognize. The creatures seemed to be studying him as much as he was studying them. He wished for more light to see them properly but was scared of the reaction that the creature might have if he used magic so instead he contented himself with the dim glow and the promise to research them later.

A root suddenly loomed overhead and he had to duck before it hit him and he tumbled onto a patch of leaves and flowers. Sitting up he saw that he was in a small cave made out of roots and vines. The stars showed through the roots and the gentle light gave shape to a small child curled up, fast asleep.

"So this is where that moronic first year wandered off to," Snape sneered. While mad that he was dragged out of bed he couldn't help but be a little glad that this first year had come out here. He had no idea this place existed. He wondered if any of the other teachers did.

He crawled closer to the first year, the cave being too small for him to stand, and gently shook the first years shoulder with the intentions to wake them. To his surprise he touched skin and his annoyance bled away to concern. It was far too cold for anyone to be wandering around without at least a robe.

"Time to wake up," he called as he shook the students shoulder. The child was desponded.

"Lumos," he murmured. Light filled the area, illuminating the child.

Harry was curled up in only pajama pants. Several vines were draped carelessly over him. His breath steamed in the cold air and his cheeks were red while his skin was pale. The boy was nuzzled into the roots, sleeping soundly.

"Potter," Snape said, half in surprise and half in the hopes of waking the boy up. When Potter didn't respond he drew off his cloak and threw it over the boy. Potter moved slightly to nuzzle the material before falling still again.

With a deep sigh he grabbed the child and shimmied out of the cave. He was surprised to find Potter weighing about the same as a small child. He knew Potter was small but how light the boy was was worrying.

He started heading back towards the castle, casting a point me spell so he wouldn't get lost. As soon as they let the groove Potter began to whimper, fidgeting restlessly. Within fifty paces the boy was thrashing, whimpers occasionally turning into screams, and he was forced to levitate the boy back to the castle. The change was so drastic from the peaceful state Harry had been earlier and he fretted as he hurried to the castle, wondering if there was something wrong with the boy.

As they neared the castle Harry's screams had faded into whimpers and moans of pain. He hurried to the hospital wing, wanting to make sure the boy was alright.

Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight as he barged into the hospital wing. He set Potter down on one of the beds, throwing several blankets over the boy, and hurried to Madam Pomfrey's chambers to rouse her. While she was as about agreeable as he was when woken she was on her feet the second she heard a student needed help.

"What happened?" she asked as they hurried to Harry's bedside.

"I found him, sleeping. While I was carrying him back he began to thrash and moan. he'd calmed down by the time we got to the castle but I wanted you to look him over and make sure he's alright." Snape said quickly as Madam Pomfrey cast several diagnostic spells.

"He seems to be in fine health but I'm going to run a few more test just to make sure. If you'd like he can go back to your quarters, get a few winks in before breakfast." Madam Pomfrey said.

Snape internally groaned as he saw that there was only half an hour before breakfast started. "Thats okay, I need to go see the Headmaster and possibly get his brother."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and he headed to the Headmaster's chambers. With a grumbled "butter toffee" he found himself at the door to Dumbledore's office. He knocked and entered, only mildly surprised to find the Headmaster already up and sat behind his desk.

"Ah, Severus, what can I do for you my boy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I just wanted to inform you that I found Harry Potter in the forbidden forest earlier tonight, sleeping. He had a bit of a fit a as I was bringing him back to the castle but he seems to have settled down. I left him in Madam Pomfrey's care for the time being." he summarized the events as quickly as possible, pushing the memory to the forefront of his mind as the felt the probe of Dumbledore's legilimency.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating the information. "I see. Thank you Severus."

"Should I contact Potter's brother or mother?" he asked.

"No, no, it's all good. I'm sure Harry is fine. In fact, I'll go check on him right now. If he's not in top condition I'll contact his family myself," Dumbledore smiled graciously and rose.

Snape made to leave before pausing "Before I forget sir, I've noticed Harry is very distracted in class due to the potions he's taking. If I may offer my services as a potions master I might be able to develop a potion to control his seizures without the side effects he's been experiencing."

He didn't know why he offered it, he hadn't been planning on it, but he found something odd about the way Dumbledore was dealing with this student by himself instead of letting him take care of it. Dumbledore rarely ever meddled in the affairs of individual students and while Potter was brother to the boy who lived he was still just the brother.

Dumbledore paused for the briefest fraction of a second, something that most people wouldn't have caught. With his background as a spy that smallest fraction of a second was what had led to many discoveries and had even saved his life a couple of times.

"Thank you for the offer my boy but it won't be necessary. We already have the best healers working for Mr. Potter and besides, you do some much already, I wouldn't want you to neglect your duties as a teacher."

Sensing the hidden threat in Dumbledore's words he gave a slight bow and left the room. With much to mull over concerning Dumbledore and Potter he headed to his chambers, deciding to skip breakfast in favour of thinking over Dumbledore's odd behavior.

Logan didn't find out till third period that his brother was in the hospital wing. As soon as he heard he excused himself from Binns class and hurried to the hospital wing, trying not the run. Madam Pomfrey only took one look at him before directing him to Harry's bed.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, words tumbling over each other. "Is he okay? Why is he sleeping? What's going on? Why didn't I hear about this till just now?"

"Mr. Potter, for heaven's sake, calm down, your brother is fine," Madam Pomfrey started.

"Really!" he felt a rush of relief. "Wait, then why is he in here? What happened to him?"

"If you'd give me a moment to talk I'd tell you," Madam Pomfrey scolded. He made a scene of sitting down in the chair next to his brother's bedside and pressing his lips together. "That's better. Your brother is simply in here as a precaution. He was found asleep outside last night without a cloak and I decided to keep him for a day to ensure he doesn't get sick."

"Why is he still asleep?" Logan interrupted.

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "He's magically exhausted. I think he might have had a seizure while he was outside, nothing serious mind you. He's simply sleeping to regain his energy. He'll be back to classes tomorrow."

Logan nodded and took up Harry's hand, squeezing it gently. Harry's fingers spasmed back and he looked over to see Harry's emerald eyes opening.

"Hey," he whispered softly.

"Hey," Harry whispered back before yawning loudly. Logan watched as Harry sat up and looked around. "Why am I in the hospital wing?"

"I think the better question is why were you sleeping outside last night? You could have gotten hypothermia! Lost a toe, could you imagine," Madam Pomfrey nagged the smaller boy as she began to fuss over him. "Youth these days have no common sense. What am I to do with the lot of you?"

Logan snickered at the slightly panicked look Harry sent him and held his hands up. Once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied with the condition Harry was in she left to grab the boys food, knowing Logan wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The hospital wing doors suddenly banged open, drawing the attention of the two Potters. In the doorway was a red faced Malfoy who promptly marched over to Harry's bed.

"Harry James Potter, what in the world were you thinking? Something could have happened to you? Are you okay? Nothing did happen to you, right? Going outside without so much as a cloak is stupid and pedantic. You should know better Harry. Did you forget the common room password? I told you to come find me if you did. But you were in bed last I saw you. So why did you go outside?" Malfoy continued his tirade of nagging and worry, splitting between the two seamlessly. Confused Logan cut Malfoy off.

"Why are you here?"

Malfoy seemed to notice him for the first time and started. "Potter, I didn't know you were here."

"I've been here for a while but that doesn't answer my question: Why are you here?"

"I came to make sure Harry was alright," Malfoy scoffed, as though the answer was self evident.

Logan's eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"He's my friend," Malfoy replied nonchalantly, missing Logan's gaping mouth as he began to fret over Harry as well.

Logan watched Malfoy, wondering if the world had turned upside down. When had Harry befriended Malfoy? Last year? This year? Harry hadn't mentioned befriending Malfoy, but then again Harry didn't mention any friends at all. But befriending a Malfoy? Everyone knew they were the evilest bunch of snakes in here but then again Harry isn't everybody. Malfoy looks as though he's concerned with Harry but can that be trusted… ? With a sigh Logan decided he would question the blonde later and make sure Harry would be okay with Malfoy. He didn't want anything to happen to his brother just because his brother had made some bad friends.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling back in with a tray and a couple of bowls, handing one to Logan and the tray to Harry. Turning she noticed Malfoy. "Hello dear, visiting Harry I see. Would you like some soup as well?"

"No thank you mame," Malfoy declined with a polite smile.

Logan thought nothing of it, digging into his lunch, until he noticed Harry holding a spoonful out to Malfoy who was shaking his head.

"Please?" Harry asked, eyes wide. Malfoy opened his mouth to say no before nodding in defeat, accepting the spoonful of soup.

Logan couldn't help but watch the strange scene unfolding before him. Harry would alternate spoonfuls of soup between him and Malfoy and Malfoy would dutily eat each spoonful with a roll of his eyes causing Harry to smile. When Harry offered Malfoy some bread Malfoy shook his head and Harry went back to giving spoonfuls of soup to Malfoy. Logan felt as though he was missing something important between these two. It was almost as if…

"Are you two dating?" Logan blurted out.

Malfoy glared darkly, any semblance of the person who fretted over Harry gone, replaced by a dark wraith. Harry simply looked up curiously before shaking his head.

Logan flinched at the glare Malfoy sent him and went back to his food. "Sorry for asking. I just wanted to know since he's my little brother and all. Besides, it's all cool. Yeesh…"

Malfoy's glare cooled but his smile didn't return for the rest of his visit. He ignored Logan completely, tending to Harry before leaving to get to class with a promise to get him before dinner to take him down to the common room.

"So, you two are friends now?" Logan asked Harry as he eyed the door to make sure Malfoy had left.

"Yeah," Harry shrugged and nestled down into the blankets.

"How'd that happen?"

"Just did," Harry's word slurried together as he yawned.

The hospital door opened once more and Malfoy ran in and handed Harry a book. "I forgot to give this to you earlier. I'm pretty sure this was the one you were reading. Thought you might want it."

Harry smiled sleepily and took the book. "Thanks Draco,"  
Logan started slightly at the first name basis but kept it to himself, especially as Malfoy sent him another warning glare. He waited till Malfoy left, wanting to question Harry some more but found the dark haired boy asleep, cuddling with the book Malfoy had given him. Logan picked it up and looked at it.

"'The Panopticon Writings', huh? Looks like a weird book," he shrugged and put the book on Harry's bedside. Maybe he'd asked Hermione about it. Even though she was two years younger than him she was one of the smartest witches in their house.

Madam Pomfrey shooed him out a few minutes later with the ordered to get back to class. At least he only had one class left today.

&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

So yeah, chapter update

Alright, I'm gonna address some stuff right now. I've gotten a few complaints about the child abuse and how I haven't brought that in yet, trust me, it's coming up. Third year shit gets real, fourth is a whole bunch of craziness. Child abuse is a huge issue and I'm not about to let something that serious go without some strong social commentary. Just be patient everyone.

I'll try to update again soon. I have my own comp now so I should be able to update all the time but I'm also lazy so we'll see.

Thanks for reading and ciao!

P.s. I don't own the Panopticon Writings, thank Jeremy Bentham for those


	13. Confrontation

"Hey, Harry," An angry voice sounded down the hallway. Harry looked back, wondering who it could be. Draco had just gotten him from the hospital wing and he didn't think very many people knew he was back yet. It seemed as though he was wrong.

Ron was marching down the hallway towards him, face red enough to match his hair. Hermione was at his arm, tugging at it, looking mortified.

"Ron, leave him alone, let's just go." Hermione was saying.

"No Hermione. You said he was a good guy but apparently you were wrong if he decided to make friend with that slimy snake." Ron aimed the last barb at Draco who bristled.

Harry furrowed his brow, trying to piece together what was happening. He didn't really know Ron that well and had only talked to him a couple of times, so why was he mad? And who was the slimy snake he was referring to? Draco and him were both in Slytherin so it wouldn't make sense to just call one of them a snake? And why did Hermione look so scared?

Unable to puzzle it out with the fog in his head he turned to Hermione. "Hermione, why is Ron mad?"

Hermione fidgeted and bit her lip, "I'm sorry Harry, it's not your fault he-"

"Damn right it's his fault!" Ron interjected. Ron marched up to Harry, red faced. "You went and befriended a bloody Malfoy!"

Harry stood petrified. The sight of Ron's red face reminded him of something, someone, but he couldn't remember. All he got was flashes of pain and fear through the thick haze in his head. It took him a moment to grasp the words Ron said and when he did he turned to look at Draco.

"Draco? But he's nice… Why wouldn't I befriend him?" Harry tried not to let his voice shake, finding that when he looked away from Ron the fear lessened.

"He's just using you Harry! He's a slimy git! And for all we know you could be one too!" Ron yelled. Harry winced at the noise, closing his eyes as the fear welled up again. His head began to ache as distant memories of pain flashed. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Why was he remembering pain? Why was he remembering another red faced man who yelled too loudly? Why didn't he remember any of this before? He fought back a whimper, scared and unable to understand what was going on.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Ron seized his shoulder, squeezing tightly as he forced Harry to face him.

Harry's eyes snapped open, wide with fear and tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he mumbled, making sure to look at Ron in fear of getting hurt.

Memories he didn't remember flashed before him as he stared into Ron's livid eyes. Flashes of a large man, a belt, yelling, crying, pleading, pain, so much pain, he was scared, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop… The memory of pain was erased as real pain blossomed in his head, washing away all the memories. He yelped and grabbed his head as he fought to stay on his feet.

Ronn began backing away, scared that he had done something to Harry. He turned to Malfoy. "What's wrong with him? What's happening?"

Draco ignored Ron and hurried to Harry, just as scared. He didn't know what was happening to Harry. He reached out to touch Harry only to have the other boy pull back with a scream of fear.

"Harry, it's me," Draco tried pleading. Harry ignored him in favor of sinking to the ground, clutching at his head. "Harry, what's wrong?" Draco knelt near his friend, careful not to touch him again.

"It hurts…" Harry moaned, beginning to rock back and forth. "It hurts so much,"

"What hurts?" Draco looked around for any visible wound but could see none.

"My head…" Harry finally said.

With a curse Draco looked up and saw Granger fluttering about, unsure of what to do. He caught her eye. "Granger, go get a teacher,"

Glad to have something to do Granger nodded and took off. Ron looked after her as though wishing he could go to before looking back at Malfoy. "Is there anything I can do?"

Draco looked at Ron and snarled. "You've done enough already, get out of here."

Ron left, looking miserably relieved. Draco turned his attention back to Harry, trying to soothe the boy. Everytime he tried to comfort the boy through touch Harry would whimper and flinch away. In the end Draco was left with just murmuring comforting words and hoping Granger would come back soon.

His wish was answered several minutes later when Granger came back with Professor Snape in tow.

"What happened here?" Snape demanded. He immediately went to Harry's side.

"Ron was angry and decided to confront Harry about his friendship with me. Harry was distracted as usual and this enraged Ron further. He grabbed Harry's shoulder to get his attention and Harry began to freak out. He claims his head hurt. He seems to have no physical wounds. He won't let anyone touch him," Draco filled Snape in, adding the last part as Snape reached out to Harry. Snape nodded and retracted his hand.

"How long has he been like this?"

"About five minutes." Draco watched as Snape began talking to Harry, trying to figure out what was wrong. Harry only mumbled answers about a pain in his head and red faces. At one point Snape tried to touch Harry's shoulder only to have the boy scurry away in fear. As though reacting to his fear Toyomoto-hime popped her head out of the sleeve of Harry's robe and hissed.

"Granger, go grab Madam Pomfrey. Draco, grab some calming potions down from my chambers." Snape ordered, sending the two teens scurrying.

Once alone with Harry Snape began asking questions again.

"Harry, why does your head hurt?" he asked.

Harry whimpered, "My head...it hurts…"

"I know it hurts, but don't worry, it won't hurt for long. I'm going to make it better but I need to know why it hurts," Snape said soothingly.

"Memories…" Harry finally said. "And a red faced man…"

"Weasley?" Snape asked, promising to thoroughly punish the redhead if he was behind his student's condition.

"No," Harry said. Slowly Harry lifted his head to look at Snape. "I don't know who he is but he has a red face and is large. Thinking about him hurts."

Snape took a moment to digest this information. "Thinking about him hurts? Does this man seem familiar to you?"

Harry nodded once. "I know him but I can't remember him." Harry whimpered and clutched at his head again. "It hurts so much, I don't want to think about him anymore. Please make the pain go away."

Snape looked around for Draco or Granger, wishing they would hurry. "Just a few more minutes. Don't think about the man anymore."  
Harry stifled a sob. "But I can't! He's always there and he always hurts me, everytime…"

Snape made small shushing noises as the teen began to cry, hating the feeling of uselessness. By the time Draco had returned with the calming draught Harry had dissolved into tears with Snape sitting by him dejectedly.

"There you are," Snape said as he caught sight of Draco. "Give me the potion,"

Draco handed the vial to Snape and crouched near to Harry. "Is he okay? Why is he crying?"

"He's going to be fine," Snape said before turning his attention to Harry. "Harry, I need you to drink this. It'll help with the pain," he said calmingly.

Harry looked up with red rimmed eyes. "Will it make the man go away?"

"Yes," Snape lied, hoping it was the truth. "It will. Now come on, drink up,"

Draco was surprised at the soft tone Snape was using, never having heard it before. He watched as Harry took the potion and swallowed it in one go. Harry relaxed visibly as the potion took effect.

"There you go," Snape said. "Now, you might get a little sleepy. That's okay. If you want to fall asleep I can carry you to the hospital wing."

Harry yawned loudly. "The hospital wing? But I was just there." his words were slurred and his eyes drooped.

"That's okay. You can sleep there," Snape said.

Harry nodded. "Okay," He tried to stand but stumbled and sat back down. He looked to Snape. "Can you carry me?"

Snape nodded and scooped up the second year. Harry yawned once more before laying his head on Snape's chest, eyes fluttering shut. Draco jumped up and followed the two.

"Does it hurt anymore?" Snape asked as they headed towards the hospital wing.

Harry shook his head. "No, just sleepy," he mumbled.

"Go to sleep then," Snape said. Harry nodded and seemed to do just that.

As the three rounded a corner Madam Pomfrey and Hermione came into view. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to the group, taking one look at Harry before asked questions. Snape filled her in on what happened briefly, hinting that there was something more but shooting a pointed look at the other two second years.

Once in the hospital wing Harry was set up in a bed, Hermione and Draco at his bedside. Madam Pomfrey ran some test but seeing nothing wrong dragged Snape into her office for more questioning.

"What do you think happened to him?" she asked.

Snape strolled around the small room, taking stock of the potions she had and making a mental to make more pepper up potions. "I think he has some repressed memories that he's not ready to face, causing the headaches." Snape said.

"But what memories could those be?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps a traumatic experience, something that happened when he was young, abuse," Snape shrugged.

"Abuse?" Madam Pomfrey questioned. She was no stranger to children from abusive homes, especially muggle borns from families that didn't know what was happening to their child or pure bloods trying to force their children to be something they weren't, but Harry was the son of Lily Potter. Lily was such a great parent, coming to everyone of Logan's quidditch games and was always coming to the headmaster to talk about Harry's condition and making sure he was alright. It was unthinkable that should would have hurt Harry. "From who? Lily wouldn't do such a thing, she dotes on her boys."

Snape shrugged. "I suppose not. Though, isn't it odd that nobody seemed to know that Harry existed till he came to Hogwarts."

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes, not liking where this was going. "He was a sickly child and had to stay inside most of the time before the healers finally figured out what was wrong and got him on medication." she said, telling Snape the same story the headmaster had told all the teachers when Harry first arrived. "Lily kept him away from the public for his health."

"I suppose," Snape said in a tone that suggested he wasn't convinced.

Madam Pomfrey tutted and headed back to her ward. "I'm going to run a few more test to see if your theory is correct. Would you like to come with?"

Snape shrugged and followed, standing off to the side as Madam Pomfrey did her test.

"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked.

"Oh nothing," Madam Pomfrey said. "It seems as though your friend, Ronald, accidently triggered a magical seizure. Since he's on medication instead of having a full seizure he just got a headache instead. He'll be fine in the morning."

Hermione gave a sigh of relief. Draco wasn't as convinced. He caught the small hints Snape had sent to Madam Pomfrey and knew there was something more to the story. Besides, Snape wouldn't be hanging around if it was just a seizure.

Snape on the other hand was quite impressed with Madam Pomfrey's skill with lying. He would have thought the kindhearted nurse would have issues with it. Apparently he thought wrong. Though it seemed as though Draco wasn't convinced by her reassurance. He'd talk to Draco later, see if he could find anything out that would help Harry. Draco was his friend after all, maybe he knew something.

Madam Pomfrey finished her test and joined Snape in his corner of the hospital wing.

"The results?" he asked, voice low so the teens wouldn't hear.

"He's clean. There's no spell blocking his memories and it doesn't seem as though there's a magical block either. In fact, he's magical aura is rather low, so he isn't suppressing them magically." Madam Pomfrey said.

Snape tilted his head slightly. "Maybe my hunch was wrong, perhaps it was just a magical seizure."

"It would seem so," the nursing witch replied.

The two fell into a thoughtful silence. After a while Snape excused himself to go deal with grading and Madam Pomfrey checked on Harry once more before shooing the other two teens out. Draco promised to check on Harry in the morning and left with Snape for the dungeons.

In his chamber Snape poured himself a tumbler of firewhiskey and reclined in his favorite chair. While Pomfrey's test hadn't showed Harry to have any suppressed memories it seemed as though the boy had some. More importantly it seemed as though he had memories of abuse. Now why would the son of Lily Potter have memories of abuse? Especially from a large, red faced man? Lily was still a widower and had not even dated since James had been killed. While she was a bit of a recluse the press was still filled with news of her and Logan's outings. He couldn't remember Harry being in any of them. In fact, he couldn't remember of Harry being mentioned at all. A story about the boy who loved sickly brother seemed like a lot of fodder to the press so why would they ignore it. Before harry came to the school it seemed as though no one knew of the boy. Why would that be? And the medication the boy was on as well, there was something off about it. He knew a great deal about medical potions and he had never seen one with side effects as severe as Harry's for just a magical seizures. And the fact that Dumbledore rejected his offer to help with Harry's condition was worrying as well.

He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of of drink. Something was going on here and he didn't like it. Tomorrow he would look more into it but his sleepless night yesterday was beginning to take its toll.

He tossed back the rest of his drink and rinsed out his glass before trudging off to bed. This matter could wait until morning.

Harry woke up to the sound of whispers. It was soft, barely audible, and he had to strain himself to hear it.

 _Kill...tear….rip…._

He sat up in bed, looking around for the noise. There was no one else in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey's door was closed, suggesting she was asleep. He stroked his arm were Toyomoto-hime was. She woke lazily, hissing a threat of death.

" _Do you hear that?"_ He asked.

 _Hear what human? All I hear is you. Why did you wake me?_ Toyomoto-hime was not keen on being woken so earlier and her peeved tone reflected it. Harry strained his ears, trying to hear more but couldn't.

" _I can't hear it anymore. I guess it was nothing,"_ He said.

Toyomoto-hime gave a wordless hiss and settled back onto his arm to sleep. _Silly human hearing silly things_

Harry stayed awake after she'd gone back to sleep listening for the chilling voice. He recognized it as parseltongue but he wasn't aware of any other snakes in the castle. Besides that the voice didn't sound friendly, it sounded as though it was going to hurt someone. He glanced to Madam Pomfrey's door, wondering if he should wake her, but decided against it. Instead he slipped out of bed, careful not to jostle Toyomoto-hime and slipped out of the hospital wing, heading in the direction he thought he had heard the voice going.

The castle at night was chilled and eerie. Most the the torches that were lit during the day had been put out, leaving only the occasional flickering light. Noises seemed to echo down the hallway and his footsteps seemed unbearably loud. There wasn't another soul in sight.

Every so often he heard glimpses of the voice and he followed it to the third floor. He came to a stop in front of the bathroom he remembered meeting Draco in. As he watched water began to seep from under the door. He opened the door the find every sink faucet turned on and flooding the bathroom. With a small yelp he jumped back, earning a hiss from Toyomoto-hime.

"What…?" he asked, looking around for the ghost he remembered that lived in this bathroom. Maybe she had turned the sinks on. But she was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" A voice from behind caused him to jump and and he turned around to see a Professor with shiny hair walking towards him. He remembered the professor from one of his classes but he couldn't remember which, just that he smiled a lot.

"Oh, you're Harry Potter, I remember you, Logan's brother. What are you doing out in the halls so late?" the professor asked. "Why is the bathroom flooded? Was that you? It's a bit late to be pulling pranks, don't you think?"

The professor talked fast and Harry had a hard time keeping up. "I don't know?" he finally managed to say, unsure of what question he was answering.

"Oh little Harry, trying to cause trouble and step out of the shadow or your brother," the professor gave a mock sigh. "You know, I was once like that, always wanting to be noticed. But I never resorted to pulling pranks and, well, look at me know. Famous author and one of the most gorgeous men in the world according to Witches Weekly magazine. Now I know how hard it must be having such a famous older brother so how about this. You go turn off all those sinks and come for a detention tomorrow night and we'll call this incident good. No one else will have to know. Alrighty?" The professor gave him a large grin that showed all of his teeth. He nodded, hoping that was the right answer.

"Atta boy. Now, go turn off those sinks and back to bed with you. I'll see you tomorrow at seven." And with that the professor was gone.

Harry blinked at the whirlwind of events and went to turn off the sinks, ignoring the water soaking his pajama bottoms. He paused, looking around for the ghost or the voice but when he couldn't detect either he headed back to the hospital wing, sleep pulling at him again. He yawned and wondered why he suddenly seemed so tired all the time. He shrugged it off and crawled into bed, falling asleep instantly in spite of his water logged pants.

The next morning Draco was at his bedside with a change of clothes and his bookbag, looking for too awake for the morning.

"Madam Pomfrey said you were okay to go to class today," Draco said in way of explanation as he handed Harry some clothes. "Why are your pajama bottoms all wet?"

Harry looked down at his pants and shrugged. He didn't really feel like relating his late night wanderings or the odd encounter with that teacher. "I dunno, maybe I was sleepwalking,"

Draco eyed him suspiciously but didn't say anything more on the matter. "Have you taken your potion already?"

Harry nodded and grabbed the curtain, pulling it around his bed so he would have some privacy as he changed. "Uh huh,"

Harry quickly changed. As he was pulling on his shirt he called out to Draco. "Do you know who the blond professor is? The one who smiles too much?"

"Lockhart?" Draco asked. "He's the defense teacher, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said. So that was why the professor had seemed familiar.

"Why are you asking?" Draco questioned.

"No reason," Harry replied as he finished getting dressed. He pulled the curtain away and grabbed his bag from Draco. "Come on, we need to hurry if we want to get to the great hall before class begins."

Draco watched Harry curiously for a moment before following. What was that all about?

That night Harry made his way to the Defense classroom. After much asking he had told Draco about his detention but not how he'd gotten it. He wasn't quite sure why he had been assigned detention himself. Draco seemed reluctant to let him go but here he was at Lockhart's door, right on time. He knocked and the blonde haired professor opened the door with a large smile.

"Ah, Harry, nice to see you on time. Come in, come in, I thought tonight you could help me with some fan mail." Lockhart grinned brightly as though it was the best idea in the world. Harry simply nodded and sat in the chair offered.

With gusto Lockhart sat in the chair opposite and thus began Harry's first detention with Lockhart.

Draco paced in one of the private rooms while Blaise and Pansy lounged on the couches and Millicent read. He was worried about Harry. He had heard rumors of what Lockhart did during detention but hadn't thought anything of them until now. He knew that they probably were just rumors but Harry was so absentminded and so easy to manipulate that he was afraid of what might happen if those rumors were true.

"Draco, stop pacing, you're making me anxious." Pansy complained.

"She's right Draco, pacing isn't going to solve anything, besides, Harry is fine. Everyone gets detention at some point." Blaised joined in.

Heaving a sigh Draco sat down. He knew his friends had a point but at the same time he couldn't help but worry. "You've heard the rumors though," Draco said.

"Yes, and they're just that, rumors," Millicent said as she placed down her book. "Do you really think that Dumbledore would hire a pedophile? You may not like the man but he does want what is best for the kids at this school."

Draco grumble and slouched in his seat. "I guess, I just don't like it though."

"Wow dude," Blaise said. "You are way too protective over some guy you just befriended a few days ago."

Draco glared at Blaise, who was unaffected by the look having been at the receiving end of it so many times.

Draco knew he was probably over reacting but he was worried. After seeing Harry so freaked out yesterday and the fact the boy had been in the hospital wing two nights in a row he couldn't help but worry. Harry was the only one who knew about his problem and the only one who helped. While Harry wasn't pushy about it he made sure Draco ate at least a little of something each meal and ever since he had found out Draco's weakness for chocolate frogs carried them for whenever Draco was craving one. It was the little gestures like that that made Draco so worried about his friend now. With whatever medication Harry was on he was always so absent minded and dazed. Anyone could take advantage of Harry and Harry wouldn't be able to fight back. That scared Draco. Pansy, Blaise, and Millicent could all hold their own but Harry couldn't, all because of some stupid potion.

He ran a hand over his face and stood up. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed, night guys."

"Don't stay up too late worrying," Blaise called in a teasing manner. Draco shot him another glare and headed for his room for some much needed rest.

Blaise was the only one still awake when Harry came back a little after midnight. Pansy and Millicent had gone to bed shortly after eleven, worried about class tomorrow. Blaise had been far more worried about the essay he had to finish for Astronomy. After Pansy and Millicent had gone to bed he had relocated to the common room to finish his essay, hoping some older years might help. Sadly, nearly everyone else had gone to bed as well and he was on his own.

"Hey Harry," he called from his spot on the couches.

Harry paused before looking over at him. Blaise nearly flinched as he saw the dead look in Harry's eyes. He wondered if Draco actually did have a reason to worry but brushed it off, remembering that Harry looked dead most of the time. The thought was not a reassuring one.

Harry studied Blaise for a second. "Hi,"

Blaise wondered if he should ask anything more, unsure of how to talk to the odd boy, but decided not to when Harry began climbing the stairs. Instead he called a good night and turned back to his essay. Only three more inches to go.

&&&&Chapter End

Thanks for reading and please review. Ciao


	14. Suspicions and Magical Mishaps

Millicent hurried down the hallway and out the lawn. not wanting to be late. She refused to run, considering it too degrading. Upon reaching the greenhouse she slowed to a stroll, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Look who decided to show up," Professor Sprout said with a twinge of sarcasm. "Glad you're here." the last part was sincere and Millicent gave a respectful nod to the witch.

It was the second meeting for the herbology club and today they were to be tending to potion ingredients they would later give to Professor Snape. No new members had joined leaving Luna, Neville, Harry, Hannah, and Millicent as the only ones for this task. Millicent wasn't quite sure what she was doing here but she knew it definitely wasn't because of a kinda cute redheaded Hufflepuff; now that would just be ridiculous.

Professor Sprout called for the club to split into groups. As in the last meeting Harry, Luna and Neville were one group leaving Hannah and Millicent together. She wondered if the Hufflepuff would be alright with the Slytherin, knowing that the two houses didn't get along all too well, but the two girls seemed to be getting along rather well if those blushes were anything to go by.

"Alrighty girls and boys, here's what's going to happen. You three are going to get this side of the greenhouse and you two are getting this side. Every plant needs to be watered and weeded. Some of the plants need special care and those instructions can be found near the base of the pot. If you have any questions come ask me. You guys are going to be using these plants in potions and miscare of the plants can have negative effects on the potions. Got it?" Professor Sprout instructed.

Everyone nodded and gave a mumble of affirmation.

"Good, now off with you, have fun," Professor Sprout said. "Remember, this is a club activity, have as much fun as you want with this as long as you're careful."

Millicent walked over the their part of the greenhouse, not looking to see if Hannah was following but hoping she was. When the smaller girl had caught up she scratched at her cheek, unsure of what to say.

"Should we start here?" she finally asked.

"Okay," Hannah nodded with a carefree smile. Millicent tried not to blush at the sight.

"I guess I'll go get the watering can," she mumbled and slouched off. Hannah grabbed a bucket and weeding supplies and the two girls got to work in silence.

The silence was broken a few minutes later by Hannah. "Why did you join this club?"

Millicent thought about the real reason why she had joined, to spy on Harry for Draco and his little group, but that wasn't why she came back. She didn't know why she came back. She shrugged. "I dunno, it wasn't awful the first time." with a leap of faith Millicent threw a smirk at Hannah and continued. "Besides, the company I had was quite lovely."

Hannah looked at her, face bright red. "W-what?"

Millicent's smirk grew at the cute stutter. "Oh, nothing."

Hannah continued to shoot her looks, cheeks a burning red. The other girl looked adorable like that.

"Why did you join?" Millicent asked, allowing the girl a break from her embarrassment.

Hannah suddenly smiled brightly. "I love plants, they're gorgeous and learning how to care for them and the such seemed like fun. And, maybe it'll help me with potions!"

Millicent chuckled slightly at the girl's upbeat answer. "Do you need a lot of help with potions?"

"Not really," Hannah replied. "I can make most of them alright but I would like to do just a little bit better. As scary as Professor Snape is potions is one of my favorite classes."

"Really?" Millicent asked, surprised. Most people hated potions, though that was due in part of Snape. While that man was a genius at potions his teaching skills were questionable.

"Yeah," Hannah said. "It's really soothing, plus a lot of potions are healing potions and those are super useful."

"Do you want to be a healer?" Millicent asked, connecting the dots. Hannah blushed slightly, pausing in her work.

"Yeah… it sounds silly and most people call me silly for knowing what I want to do this early on in life but…" Hannah trailed off for a moment before smiling softly. "I would love to be able to help people for the rest of my life. I know it's a demanding job but it's something I've always wanted to do."

Millicent paused in her work as well, looking at the girl. "I don't think it's silly at all, I think that's wonderful you already know what you want to do." As tacky as the words sounded she meant them. Finding a job in today's economy was hard and knowing what you wanted to do was harder, to find someone who already had a dream in mind was special. She hoped Hannah went on to be a healer, she would help a lot of people.

Hannah smiled widely at her. Millicent blushed, not use to the overly happy look in the Hufflepuff's eyes. "You really think so? That's great! Most people think I'm dumb for it. It's nice meeting someone who thinks it's a good idea. I've already talked to Madam Pomfrey's and she's going to let me apprentice for her starting next year. I'm so excited! I've been too scared to tell anyone else because they might make fun of me but you won't, right? You're far too nice for that!"

Millicent was caught off guard by the stream of words Hannah was saying. It was like a dam had burst. After a moment she managed to catch up to the words and bristled. "Hey! I'm not nice."

"Yes you are," Hannah giggled. "You're one of the nicest people I've meet here and by far the nicest snake,"

Millicent scowled and turned back to her work, trying to hide her blush. "Bloody Hufflepuffs…"  
Hannah giggled at that too. "See, you try to be all high and mighty but you're really just sweet. You're even blushing."

Millicent refused to look up, trying to stop blushing. "Fuck you," she mumbled.

"Awwww, see," Hannah said.

Millicent ignored her and focused solely on her work. They still had a quarter of their side to finish. Hannah giggled again and began helping again. Millicent started sneaking looks at Hannah while her blushed cooled. Gathering her courage she decided to ask one more thing.

"So, um, you said you needed help with potions," she said awkwardly. Hannah looked up and nodded, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. Millicent took a deep breath. "If you want I could tutor you sometime." she kept her eyes on the plant in front of her, scared that Hannah would laugh and reject her offer. She had never offered to help anyone outside of her house and barely helped anyone in her house. It was nerve wracking.

"Really?" Hannah asked with wide eyes. Millicent looked up just in time to see Hannah's face break into a huge smile. "That would be great! Thank you so much! You're the best."

Millicent shrugged and looked away, cheeks tinged with red. "It's nothing."

Hannah hummed happily and returned to her weeding, asking a few questions to set up a study session that weekend. After that the girls continued to talk, mostly about trivial things that left both of them smiling when they left for their common rooms later that day.

Logan stood outside of Professor Snape's office, biting his lip. He had already waited out here for five minutes but he was scared to knock. While Professor Snape didn't detest him Professor Snape didn't like him much either. To be fair Professor Snape didn't like most people but it seemed as though Professor Snape disliked him just a bit more than others. That was probably because Professor Snape had caught him and the twins pulling pranks multiple times over the years and had once been at the receiving end of one, having to go a full day with purple hair. Still, there a paralyzing fear that stopped him from knocking on the door like he wanted to. Taking a deep breath he screwed up his courage and knocked thrice on the door before he could convince himself otherwise.

There was a long silence before a voice rang out. "Come in,"

With another deep breath Logan entered the room, careful to close the door behind him. Professor Snape sat behind his desk, grading essays. The professor looked up slightly, eyebrows lifting when he saw who it was. Snape set down his quill and sat up in his chair, motioning for Logan to take a seat.

"And to what do I owe this honour mister Potter?" Professor Snape asked with a touch of sarcasm.

Logan looked down at his lap, twisting his hands together as he bit his lip. Snape waited patiently, watching Logan as he dealt with his inner turmoil.

"It's about Harry," Logan finally said. Snape sat up a little bit straighter, his attention had.

"What do you mean?" Snape asked.

Logan bit his lip again. "I'm not sure I should tell you. My mum said it was a bad idea to go to anyone but Dumbledore about it but…"

That certainly had Snape's attention now. Lily Potter had instructed her oldest son not to disclose information concerning Harry to anyone but the Headmaster. That seemed a little bit fishy. Maybe Logan knew something about Harry that would help him figure out what was going on with that boy.

He waited patiently for Logan to continue talking. The boy was gnawing on his lip, looking scared and indecisive.

"I think his uncle is hurting him…" Logan said in a rush, as though betraying a great secret. Snape stilled.

"What do you mean?" Snape asked in a calm voice.

Logan took a deep breath and continued. "When we first went to get Harry he seemed alright but then his uncle came home and started yelling for him. Harry got all jumpy and scared and went to go see what his uncle wanted. When Harry came back he had a cut on his arm and cheek. I tried asking him about it but he refuses to say anything and when he goes back on the medication it's like he can't even remember it."

Snape stared at the boy, trying to comprehend what he had been told. "What do you mean, when you went to get him?"

Logan looked down, wondering if he had said anything wrong. "When my mum and I went to get him from my aunt and uncles house…"

"What was he doing there?" Snape asked. He briefly wondered if this was just a fib Logan was telling as a prank but the fear in his eyes said otherwise.

"Before he came to Hogwarts he stayed with his aunt and uncle," Logan said. In a much smaller voice he continued. "Mum always said it was to protect him and to let him live a normal life since we had to deal with the press and everything so much. At first I believed her but now… I don't know…"

Snape leaned back in his chair. If Harry had been living with an abusive family for so long then his theory about repressed memories might still be relevant but if that was the case then that meant the situation surrounding Harry Potter was so much more complicated than he thought.

"Does Harry stay with you and your mother now?" Snape asked.

Logan shook his head. "He goes back to the Dursley's, his aunt and uncle, for the first part of the summer before my mum brings him to our house. She said there was some sort of protection on the house."  
Snape nodded once. If Harry was actually being abused why would Dumbledore and Lily be sending him back there every summer? And why would he forget the abuse whenever he came back to school? Was the child repressing his own memories in an attempt to live a normal life? But then why would Dumbledore be so involved with the child's health? And that potion?

Snape breathed in deeply, his head spinning with the ramifications of what this could mean. Dumbledore was his savior, having pulled him out of the darkest part of his life and given him a new beginning. Could the same man be hurting a child so severely that it would cause the child acute emotional and mental damage? He didn't want to believe it, but he might have to.

He refocused his attention back on Logan. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"

Logan shook his head again, eyes on the floor before pausing. The boy looked up, his eyes bright. "Please don't let Harry go back to that house, please. I might not have been there for him when he was younger but he's my brother and I don't want him to get hurt. He's already so fragile. I've tried talking to my mum but she won't listen. Please, you're the only person I can think of who might be able to help. Please?"

Snape was shocked at the raw emotions in the boys voice and felt the coils of obligation fall on his shoulder. He bowed his head slightly. "I shall do all in my power to make sure your brother doesn't come to harm. Thank you for bringing this information to my attention."

Logan gave a small smile and sniffled. With an embarrassed laugh he wiped at the unshed tears with the back of his arm. "Thank you Professor,"

Snape waited until he caught the boys gaze. "Of course, Harry is in my house and therefore my responsibility and even if he wasn't I would still do everything I could to help him. If you learn of anything else that might help me help him come tell me immediately. My door is always open to you and your brother."

Logan was surprised at the words. Snape had always been a pretty emotionless hardass that made potions a living hell and gave god awful detentions. He'd never seen this side of the professor but he was grateful for it. He nodded raggedly, scared that if he talked he would start crying. It felt as though he had been carrying this burden alone for so long. He had tried talking to his mum and even the headmaster about it but had been turned away and called a silly child, it was nice to have someone listen and take him seriously; to have someone help. There was such relief in knowing there was someone else to help watch over Harry. He tried as hard as he could but he was only fourteen. It was nice to have an adult he could trust.

He slipped out of Snape's office and hurried back to his dorm, not wanting to be caught out past curfew. He thought about writing to his mum and letting her know what had happened but something held him back. Instead he grabbed his book bag and joined his friends by the fire, pulling out his homework as the twins tried to coerce some poor first year into trying some of their 'special' candy.

"Harry, are you okay? You look like hell?" Draco said at breakfast. Harry yawned and poked at his eggs.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

His normal state of foggyness was compounded by lack of sleep, making him more apathetic and dazed than ever. It had been a month since he had first heard the voice that had led him to the bathroom. Now he was hearing the voice all the time. He followed it whenever he could and it always led him to the third floor girls bathroom. Lockhart had caught him several more times and given him detentions that lasted until the early hours of the morning. It was always doing something simple like fan mail or polishing pictures but it was tiring. When it wasn't detentions keeping him up that damned voice was murmuring promises of death. Toyomoto-hime had taken a dislike to the voice and often hid in his closet, unwilling to come out anymore. He made sure to bring her food but the day was lonely without her. If only he could figure out what that voice was then he could do something about it.

He yawned again. He was so tired. The food on his plate looked decidedly unappetizing and he set his fork down. He looked over at Draco and was glad to see the boy nibbling on some fruit. Good, Draco needed to eat more. Without much thought he laid his head on Draco's shoulder. Usually he hated human contact but right now he was too tired to care and Draco's shoulder was soft, if not a little bony, but that was okay.

Draco looked over in surprise as he felt a weight on his shoulder, only to find Harry asleep. Harry looked exhausted, with dark bags under his eyes. Draco kept asking Harry if he was sleeping well but the boy always said he was fine. He was glad Harry was finally sleeping, he needed it.

As Draco continued his earlier conversation with Blaise and Pansy about the usefulness of sporks and homework Pansy eyed the interaction between Draco and Harry. Over the past month they had steadily become closer. It was just little things, like Draco leaning over Harry's shoulder to see what Harry was reading or Harry carrying snacks for Draco whenever he was hungry but it made Pansy wonder if there was something there, something more than friendship. She had tried telling her theories to Milli but lately the other girl seemed concerned with something else and had brushed off her theories. Still, she was pretty sure that Draco and Harry would become an item sooner or later. She smirked happily at knowing that she would be the first to call the couple before frowning. Harry was going to have to be a lot more spacey if him and Draco were going to be a thing. Hmm, maybe they wouldn't work out. With a shrug she broke free from her musings and returned to the conversation, promising herself she would talk to Milli about it later.

Soon it was time for class and Draco loathed it but he woke his sleeping friend, shaking his shoulder slightly.

Harry whimpered, "Just a little bit longer Aunt Petunia, I promise,"  
Draco frowned, wondering what that was about. "Harry," he said softly, "You need to wake up,"

Harry scrunched up his nose and opened his eyes. He blinked blearily and focused on Draco. "Oh, hi Draco," he mumbled sleepily.

"Hi Harry," Draco returned. "Now come on, class,"

Harry made a noise of protest as he grabbed his bag. He was so tired, why couldn't he just sleep a little bit longer?

He slouched and followed Draco to their first class, transfiguration. He tried to rest his eyes but Professor McGonagall was on him immediately, raping his desk with a ruler. He sat up miserably and stroked his arm where Toyomoto-hime usually lay. The lack of chilled warmth on his arm depressed him even further and the fog grew until everything appeared as though from underwater, words floating to him in snippets and fragments.

"Harry! Pay attention," A sharp voice broke through the fog. He turned to see Professor McGonagall standing at the edge of his desk, lips thin. He cocked his head, wondering what she wanted.

"You're supposed to be turning pin cushion into a teacup," Professor McGonagall finally said. He nodded and looked at his desk, mildly surprised to see a pin cushion there.

"Oh," he said. He looked to see Professor McGonagall still there. "Yes Professor?"

Professor McGonagall sighed and put on a patient tone. "Potter, I said I wanted you to turn that pin cushion into a teacup for me."

Harry nodded once more and looked back at the pin cushion. He took out his wand and waved it, saying the correct spell. The pincushion stayed the same as it was. He tried again before looking at the Professor.

She pursed her lips, "Try one more time Potter." He tried, nothing happened. She folded her arms, confused. The boy was doing everything right, so why wasn't it working.

"Potter, do you know why you can't turn the pincushion into a teacup?" she asked.

He shrugged. "My magic doesn't want to," he simply said.

She sighed, not wanting to get into this argument again. Whenever Harry couldn't do something in this class he always blamed his magic. She had wasted entire class periods fighting over , it was odd that he was doing everything correctly this time and still could not do it. There should be at least some reaction but there wasn't. She shrugged and went to go help another student. Maybe she'll mention it to Dumbledore later, he might know more about it.

^&&&&&&&Chapter End

Awww, there's cute couple stuff going on plus Logan is helping move the plot forward, yays! Alright, so next chapter will be posted soon, more awesome stuff in that now, until then enjoy and review. ciao!


	15. Broken Dolls

_Rip...kill...devour…._

Harry groaned as the voice resounded throughout the hallway. It was in the middle of class and the voice had been becoming progressively more frequent. He wondered if the voice would actually harm someone today like it kept suggesting; he highly doubted it though.

Draco gave him an odd look. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Professor Binns, who was lecturing about the goblin wars. It was such a dull topic and most everyone was asleep. Harry grabbed out his book and continued to read, not wanting to spare the effort to even attempt to focus on the Professor. Sometimes it was just easier to live in his foggy world, it felt safer.

The bell rang sometime later and the class burst from their seats, glad that this class was the last of the day. Most of the students hurried back to their common room, excited for the Halloween feast that evening.

"Want to go to the library?" Draco asked as they were leaving.

Harry nodded, "Okay,"

Draco liked to go to the library, constantly checking and rechecking his homework. Harry knew that Draco was putting too much stress on himself and helped as much as he could to make Draco's workload lighter but the boy just insisted on making things hard on himself. It wasn't completely Draco's fault though. Harry knew that Draco's parents were very demanding and strict. He wondered what it would be like to have demanding parents. His mind wandered to Lily. She didn't seem that demanding, but then again she didn't seem much like a parent.

He shrugged and took a seat next to Draco in the library, offering to help with something. Draco handed him a potions essay to correct and he set to work making corrections in red ink, not that there were many, while Draco started on his Transfiguration homework.

Hours later, past the normal time for dinner, Draco finished his work and stood, stretching. Harry looked up from the Herbology homework he was working on.

Draco looked over to Harry, "Should we go get dinner?"

Harry nodded and packed his stuff away. "Okay," he paused and added as an afterthought, "I need to grab food for Toyomoto-hime," Toyomoto-hime was still hiding in his closet, stubbornly saying that she wasn't coming out until that voice went away. He really hoped the voice went away soon, he missed her.

The two boys decided to head down to the kitchen rather than going to the Great Hall, Harry feeling in the mood to cook something. Draco began to rant about the unfair amount of homework Professor McGonagall had been giving lately, unpleased with how many nights he'd had to stay up to make sure everything was correct.

Suddenly the voice sounded again. _She's here, ahhh, finally, a feast!_ Harry jerked his head to the side, following the voice as it flowed behind him. For once the voice was saying more than it's usual mantra of death. An unreasonable fear seized him and he began chase after the voice.

Draco broke off from his rant as he noticed Harry run off. He automatically grew concerned, Harry never ran off anywhere, ever. Most of the time the boy was too out of it to even realize where he was.

"Harry," Draco called and ran after his friend.

Harry heard his friend but neither slowed nor stopped as he ran after the voice. The voice surged through the walls with shouts of glee. _Been so long...so hungry….a feast…._ Harry was forced to run faster as the voice speed up. For the first time in months the fog cleared from his mind, left behind. Even with the fear flooding through him he knew that he had to do something or someone was going to get hurt. That couldn't happen, he wouldn't let it happen. His lungs hurt and his legs ached but he pushed himself faster, spiraling up stairs and down hallways. As he rounded a corner water filled the hallway and he went crashing to the ground.

Pain blossomed on the right side of his body as he sat up, glasses askew. He looked around and recognized the hallway as the one by the girls bathroom, the one with the ghost. With a bad feeling he stood, creeping towards the door which stood ajar, water seeping out. His shoulder ached fiercely and he grabbed at it. The voice had quieted down to a whisper and it hummed in his ears as he reached out to push open the door. His hand trembled as his fingertips grazed the door. There was something bad behind this door, something dark and horrible. The voice hissed on, almost as if urging him. With a leap of courage he didn't know he had he pushed open the door.

A girl lay, sprawled on the floor. Her moonlight hair shimmered in water, floating around her head like a halo. Her eyes lay closed, her dark lashes sending shadows to dance across her face. She looked so peaceful, so still lying there. The water around her lapped at her cheeks and played with her clothes. Her shirt, a flowy white one she was fond of wearing, billowed around her shockingly thin body. She looked as though she was in a dream, her pale lips wearing a gentle smile.

"Luna…?" Harry stumbled to her, falling to his knees at her side. "Luna! Please, answer me! Luna!"

Harry reached his hands hands out towards her but was unable to do anything more than stare at her still, white body. She was so pale, so still, like she was...like she was… No! she couldn't be, she just couldn't.

Harry held his hand to her mouth and watched her chest. Nothing. She wasn't breathing…. she wasn't breathing! Frantically he began searching for a pulse, grabbing her wrist as he lifted her head into his lap, cradling her gently.

"Luna, it's time to wake up," he called softly, "Luna, you have to get up, please," his voice began to shake, breaking as he continued pleading.

She didn't stir as he called her name or shook her shoulders. His own shoulders began to shake with unshed tears as he shook her harder. "Please, Luna, you have to be okay, please be okay!"

He tried everything he could, even going as far as to slap her, but nothing worked. She lay as still as a doll, as cold as one too. Soon she would rot and maggots would reduce her to nothing but for now she was a porcelain doll who had been carelessly tossed aside with eyes that would never see again.

When Harry was little he'd had a friend, a little girl who had always worn a scarf over her head. At recess no one wanted to play with her because she always wore her scarf. The other kids would make fun of her and tease her. One day he had found her crying behind the slide because no one would play with her. He knew how it felt like not to have any friends. The other kids wouldn't play with him either.

"I'll play with you," Harry had offered timidly, scared that she would say girl had looked up with teary eyes and smiled brightly.

From that moment on they became the best of friends. Together they discovered mystical lands and far off places. They were pirates one day and queens and kings the next. Some days they would be rogues in a foreign land or elves who had lost their way home. She loved being a knight, saying that she would be strong and brave and fight off all the evil monsters. Harry would be a prince in distress, taken by a greedy dragon who had fallen in love thinking his eyes were emeralds.

One day he found out the monsters she fought were real and that they were inside of her. They were the reason why she had to wear the scarf and would miss school a lot. Sometimes he would sneak away from the Dursley's to go visit her. She was always ill and had to rest in bed. Sometimes it was so bad she would just throw up the entire time.

Instead of searching for adventures they began to play different games. They learned how to conquer battlefields in chest and make themselves kings in checkers. When they were feeling silly they would transverse candy land together or go up and down in chutes and ladders.

Her parents said she would get better but they lied. She stopped coming to school and was kept at home all the time. Some days they wouldn't even let him see her. On her good days, when she was awake, he would sit on her bed and read to her. She really liked Peter Pan and wished she could live on an island where no one would ever get old or sick.

She talked a lot about what they would do when she got better. She talked about creating her own Neverland or maybe building a treehouse. Mostly she just wanted to see the beach again but was too sick to go. He promised they would go when she was better and they spend endless days planning out what they do and what they would pack. Whenever her parents listened they sometimes left crying. He asked them why they cried but they would shake their heads and tell them it was nothing.

One day when he went over to her house there was an iv in her arm and a nurse in the living. He was scared of needles and didn't like being around her. She tried to hide it underneath her covers but it still scared him. Before he left that day she gave him a necklace with a gold chain and a small emerald pendant.

"There," she said as she placed it around his neck. "This will protect you and remind you of me when I'm not there,"

He had been confused and asked her if she was going somewhere. She had only giggled and kissed his cheek. He had been confused but kissed her cheek as well, promising to take care of it.

The next time he saw her she was a doll, a pretty little doll dressed up all in white. Everyone in the church was crying for her but he couldn't understand why. She was right there and if they cried too loudly they would wake her up. He had tried telling that to her parents but it had only made her mom cry even more. So he had stayed silent and clutched tightly at the necklace she had given him. He didn't know what was going on and he was scared. When they closed her in that box and began to bury her in the ground he had screamed, telling them that they couldn't do that to her. She was scared of small places and would be terrified when she woke up. Uncle had dragged him away from the church and tried to knock some sense into him when they got home, telling him that she was dead.

He cried himself to sleep that night, holding tightly to the necklace. All night he dreamt of pale dolls dressed in white and covered with flowers. After that he forgot about her, pushing her away until he could no longer remember her, his heart hurting too much when he did. He hid the necklace away and never thought of her again. A month later he remembered nothing of her but a pale doll.

Harry stared at the pale doll in his arms. Droplets of water dripped onto her face and ran down her cheeks. It wasn't until his vision blurred and she disappeared into a blur of colours that he realized he was crying. He sobbed loudly as he hugged her fragile body tightly to him, clinging to her.

She couldn't die… she just couldn't…. But she was...

With a howl he flung away his pain as he had once did with his innocence on a night so long ago. A dark blue feather was born and carried by a stray breeze to the outside world. There a magic older than time responded, surging forth and pouring into the flooded bathroom. It crept through the window and spilt onto the floor, flowing through the water and wrapping itself gently around the two persons. A soft blue light filled the room as it imbued the two with healing magic, intertwining itself through their magical core and knitting together what had been broken, be it heart, mind, or body.

The magic of the castle reacted badly, throwing itself at the foreign magic in an attempt to dispel it. The healing magic fought back as best it could but was soon driven out, being of healing rather than fighting, but not before it did all it could to help the fragile souls. It fled the castle and returned to the earth, dancing through the trees and stars.

Harry slowly opened his eyes as he felt warmth fill the doll he held. A soft huff of breath ghosted across his neck and he pulled away in surprise.

"Luna?" he asked in a quivering voice. The girl in his arms stayed silent, eyes still closed, but her lips were a pale pink and slightly opened as she breathed, her body moving slightly with the motion. "You're alive…" he breathed softly.

"You need help," he murmured. He tried to pick her up but found her too heavy to carry. Gently he propped her against a sink, making sure to turn all of them off, and covered her with his cloak. Checking one more time to reassure himself she was still alive and breathing he hurried from the bathroom and ran down the hallway, only to skid to a stop as he nearly barrelled into Draco.

Draco straightened up, after nearly falling to avoid Harry's stumbling stop, and fixed the other boy with a glare. "There you are, Why did you go running off like that Harry? I've been looking for you, worried sick." Draco paused in his rant as he saw the panicked state the other boy was in. "Harry, why are you all wet? What happened?"

"It's Luna," Harry panted. "She needs helps, a professor,"

Draco was bursting with questions but held his tongue as he saw the urgency in his friend's eyes. "This way," he simply said.

The two boys hurried to the closest office, which happened to belong to professor Lockhart. Harry pounded on the door frantically and it opened to reveal a bleary eyed professor, golden locks wound tightly in curlers and paired with a silken nightgown and fluffy slippers.

"What's the meaning of this boys?" Lockhart asked, obviously crossed.

"Help, it's Luna, she's hurt," Harry said quickly, eyes pleading.

Lockhart looked at the boy and sighed. It was probably just some silly prank gone wrong and a student had bopped their head. Besides, it was way too late to be dealing with these things. But he was a teacher and it was part of his duty, it said so in his contract. So he huffed and grabbed his robe, throwing it over his gown, and followed the boys down the hallway. He was surprised when they led him to the same hallway he had found Harry a few weeks ago, and even more surprised when he found it flooded again.

"Harry, were you flooding the girls bathroom again?" he asked crossly. If this was just another silly prank he was going to assign them detention with Flinch.

Harry said nothing as he darted inside the bathroom. Lockhart huffed and followed, bath slippers squelching unpleasantly. Draco was surprised to see Harry drop by Luna immediately, cradling the girl gently. He knew the two were friends but he didn't know them to be close.

"W-what's wrong with her?" Lockhart stammered.

Harry looked up with scared eyes. "She's breathing but she won't wake up,"

"O-oh…" Lockhart said. His eyes roamed around the room before falling on Draco. "Draco, go grab Madam Pomfrey if you will. I'm going to grab the Headmaster. Harry, stay here with her."

Harry and Draco nodded, Draco running off to grab the nurse. Lockhart looked around once more before hurrying in the opposite direction to grab the headmaster. Harry pulled his cloak around Luna closer, not liking the chilled feeling in her skin. He wished he could get her out of the water but he wasn't strong enough to.

"Everything is going to be okay," he murmured to her. Without the fear or sense of need the fog was beginning to creep back. He tried to fight it but it was relentless. His shoulders sagged and head fell as it grew stronger. "It'll all be alright…"

Draco was surprised to see Harry sitting dejectedly, eyes glazed over, when he got back. It seemed as though the short burst of life Harry had experienced was gone, leaving this empty husk of a boy. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to the two immediately, taking Luna from Harry and setting her on a floating stretcher. The headmaster and Professor McGonagall arrived soon after and begin quizzing both Pomfrey and Harry. Once Luna was taken from the flooded bathroom and set up in the hospital wing Harry and Draco were relocated to Lockhart's office for questioning.

"Potter, Malfoy, what were you two doing in the girls bathroom in the first place? You should have been at the dungeons or in the great hall at the feast." Professor McGonagall questioned.

Harry shrugged, not looking up. "Is she going to be okay?"

"That was not the question," Professor McGonagall snapped. Harry said nothing. She turned on Draco with an expectant stare.

"I don't know Professor," Draco said, sneaking a look at Harry to see if he'd help him out any. Harry didn't look as though he'd much of help to anyone at the moment.

"Come on, you two weren't there for no reason!" McGonagall said exasperated. The headmaster sat in the corner, watching them with eyes that seemed to know everything. Draco merely shrugged, looking nonchalant.

Snape burst into the room, robes billowing. "What's going on here?" he demanded. "I just got an owl telling me it was urgent."

Professor McGonagall waved a hand towards the two students. "Don't ask me, as these two. I've been trying to figure that out for the last five minutes but both of them refuse to talk."

Snape eyed the two students and moved to stand by McGonagall. He fixed Draco with a hard look. "Malfoy, what happened?"

Draco tried not to fidget under the look and locked gazes with his godfather. "I don't know sir. Harry and I were heading back to the common room when he began to run. I lost him in the hallways and was looking for him when he came back, saying something about Luna. We got Lockhart and then Madam Pomfrey to help Luna." Draco tried to summarize the events as precisely as possible.

"What did happen to Ms. Lovegood?" Snape asked.

While the question was directed at Harry Draco answered. "Madam Pomfrey said she was petrified."

Snape hissed in a breath and looked to McGonagall. McGonagall nodded back gravely.

"You don't think…?" he murmured.

McGonagall gave a helpless shrug. "What else are we to think?"

Snape fell into a brooding silence. Draco looked between the two adults in confusion.

"Think what?" he finally asked. The two adult looked at each other in silent agreement.

"It's nothing to worry yourself about poor boy," Dumbledore finally said. "Now, you two have had an eventful night am I'm positive a good night's sleep will do you a world of wonders. If we have anymore questions we'll come ask you but for now how about you go get some shut eye."

Draco nodded and rose stiffly, recognizing the dismissal. He made to leave before realizing Harry was still where he left him. "Harry, time to go," he said, feeling very much like a parent in that moment. He grabbed Harry's hand and led him from the room. Harry followed without question, eyes still on the ground.

Once they were a safe distance away Draco looked to Harry. "What happened back there? With Luna? And why did you go running off like that?" he asked.

Harry ducked his head farther, eyes shadowed. "She was a doll…" he whispered. Draco stilled, not knowing what the words meant but feeling the chill in them all the same.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Harry stayed silent, as he did for the rest of the questions Draco tried to ask him. After a while Draco gave up and they walked to the common room in silence. It wasn't until Draco reached his room he remembered he had forgotten his book bag in the window sill of the bathroom and made a mental note to get it in the morning before falling asleep.

In his room Harry was searching through his trunk. In the very bottom he found a small, beat up shoe box of things. He pulled it out, treating it with care as he set it on the bed. Inside he found a golden necklace with a emerald pendant. With reverence he pulled the chain over his head and the pendant fell onto his skin. He place the shoebox back in his trunk and went over to his closet to curl up in his nest.

Toyomoto-hime greeted him with a sleepy hiss and as joined her, moving her slightly so she rested on him. She curled up happily around his warm and soon fell back asleep. He reached up to cradle the pendant on his chest, holding it close.

Softly, scared that the words would do harm, he whispered, _I remember you…._

 _& &&&&_Chapter End

So, please please please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter. This was a super hype chapter to write and I want to know your guys reaction. Also, I want to give a shout out to the awesome Katzztar! She's been a wicked reviewer and is catching on quick, I hope you like this chapt^^

Hope you enjoy it, ciao~!


	16. Hidden Caves

Morning found Harry curled up in his closet, still clutching the necklace tight. Toyomoto-hime woke him up as usual, nuzzling his cheek softly, and as usual he woke with a jerk, eyes flashing emerald in the darkness. He steadied his breathing as he realized it was just Toyomoto-hime. For some reason he always thought it would be something, someone, else and he always woke with his heart hammering. He didn't know why because it was always Toyomoto-hime, or at he was pretty sure it was always her.

He shook his head to clear away the disturbing train of thought, feeling as though he was forgetting something. It was another feeling he felt every morning. He used to wonder why know he just wished it wouldn't happen, it was very annoying.

With a yawn he left his closet and pulled on his school robes, making sure to place the necklace securely around his neck. The emerald gem was warm from being held through the night and rested comfortably on his chest. He smiled, glad that at least he remembered his friend. His smile turned into a slight frown, he wished he could remember her name though. He shook his head again, grabbed his school bag, and headed for the hospital wing.

He waited twenty minutes for Luna before he remembered what happened. As soon as he did he broke out into a run for the infirmary. Snape, who was heading back from the Great Hall, caught him and scowled.

"Mr. Potter, why so ever are you running?" Snape asked. "Especially at this hour. The food is the Great Hall is not that great."

Harry looked yearningly towards the stairs. "It's Luna, I need to make sure she's okay,"

Snape knitted his eyebrows together. "Ms. Lovegood?"

"Yesterday she was hurt. I don't remember how though." Harry fell silent for a moment, hating he couldn't remember. "She was so cold though...her lips were blue…she wouldn't move..."

Snape mulled the new information over. Yesterday he had heard about her being petrified but hadn't the chance to come see the girl. The headmaster and professor McGonagall had kept him up late last night as they try to decide what to do. He had been to talk to Pomfrey for a few minutes about the cure and down to talk to Sprout. He made a decision. "I'll escort you to the hospital wing, to ensure you won't through the hallways anymore."

Harry gave him a relieved look and began hurrying through the halls again. Snape sighed and followed. Children were far too energetic far too early in the morning. Still, he eyed the boy, Harry was more energetic than ever. In fact, he couldn't remember seeing the boy so lifelike. It was a bit surreal.

They made it to the hospital wing in good time. Harry immediately flocked to Madame Pomfrey.

"Is she okay? Where is she? Is she awake?" Harry asked, eyes wide and scared, for once looking like the eyes of a child.

Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes, refusing to be frazzled. "Good grief child, calm down. Let me go grab your potion real quick then I'll answer your questions. Wait here."

Harry waited patiently as Madame Pomfrey bustled around the infirmary and came back with his potion. He quickly downed it, the taste no longer bothering him. The potion took effect almost immediately. He could feel the potion moving through his veins, winding through his mind like a cool snake, slowly closing him from the outside world. At first it had frightened him when it began to happen but now… now it just was.

"Now, who were you asking about?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

Harry blinked and looked up to the nurse. He concentrated carefully, wanting to make sure he didn't miss anything important. "Luna,"

Madam Pomfrey felt a pang of sorrow as she saw the near vacant look enter the boys eyes. She knew that the potion prevented his magical seizures but she wished the side effects wouldn't be this severe. Her mind reminded her of Severus's theory of repressed memories but she pushed it away. She would worry about such things later, she had a child to tend to, even if to assuage his fears about his friend.

"Ms. Lovegood is currently in that bed right over." She paused, wondering how to break the news. "However she's hurt."  
"How?" Harry said before she had the chance to continue.

"She was petrified." she said, then continued before he interrupted again. "She'll be fine though. Professor Sprout is growing some mandrakes that we'll use to make a potion that'll fix her right up. Unfortunately, it will take several months while the mandrakes mature."

Harry nodded, gaze fixed on where she had briefly gestured to where Luna was. "Can I go see her?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded, knowing he wouldn't do anything to Luna. She had heard he had been the one to find her. She wondered if it was true.

Harry hurried off to Luna's side and Severus took his place, coming to stand next to her.

"What do you think of it, Lovegood's petrification?" Severus asked.

Madame Pomfrey shook her head fretfully and began bustling around the hospital wing again, leaving Severus to follow her. "I think it's dreadful, the poor girl. I also know it's not a good sign."

Severus paused, thinking over his words carefully. "Is there any way it could be the same as last time?"

Madame Pomfrey froze, remembering the several petrified bodies and three dead ones that had come through her doors. "The monster was driven out of the school then,"

"You know as well as I do that an Acromantula was not the cause of those petrifications, those deaths." Severus hissed, careful not to be heard by anyone else in the wing.

Madame Pomfrey gave a shudder. "So the monster came back…" she whispered, growing cold at the thought.

Severus shook his head, shoulders dropping. "I don't think it ever left."

A morose silence fell over the two, both remembering. Severus hadn't been alive when it had happened but he had been told once he began teaching here. Apparently fifty years ago a chamber called The Chamber of Secrets was opened. It was rumored that it was created by Salazar Slytherin when he left the school, leaving a creature within that would kill all the muggleborns in the school when him or his heir returned. When the chamber had been opened nobody had seen the monster, or at least nobody lived to tell. Those who were petrified memories were altered as soon as they woke. They never found out who did it though. Madame Pomfrey had been an apprentice at the time. It was the first time she had seen death. Later in the first war it was something she saw often but at that time she had been distraught, unable to save those, unable to even try. The students were dead long before they were discovered, all of them mangled.

"I hope to all that is magic that you're mistaken," Madame Pomfrey finally said.

Severus saw the haunted look in the nurse's eyes and gave a nod. "Me too,"

Word of Luna's condition had reached the school and rumors were circulating in full force by the end of the day. Lockhart helped flame these rumors by his own dramatic retellings of the night before he was made to stop by the headmaster. The damage was done though and soon everyone knew of Harry's involvement in Luna's condition. Rumors ranged from him practicing dark magic on her, attacking her with his snake, cursing her, using his parseltongue on her, or sending some monster after her. It seemed as though no one knew the truth though, not even Harry. Still, it didn't stop a group of Ravenclaws from confronting Harry the next morning in the hallways.

Harry, coming back from the hospital wing and already foggy from the potion, was heading to the Great Hall. He saw the three boys blocking the hallway and stopped. He realized they all wore the blue and bronze colours of Ravenclaw. Luna was in Ravenclaw. He wondered if he should ask them to bring her any of her school things, but then again he didn't know if they knew her, or if they were allowed in the girls dorms.

He shrugged and continued on his way, only to run into one of the boys after forgetting they were there. He stumbled back, nearly falling, and straightened up, looking at the boy he had bumped into. The boy had black hair and peircing blue eyes. He was tall too, a lot taller than himself.

"Sorry," Harry finally said, remembering the word. The boy look slightly surprised at that but ignored it as the three boys moved in. Harry watched with a slight curiosity shining in his dull eyes.

"We heard about Luna," the boy on the left said. Harry slowly moved to look at him. These boys must be worried about Luna too.

The boy on the right spoke next, "Yeah, and we wanted to know, what did you do to her?" All three boys nodded in agreement at this. Harry cocked his head.

"I…" Harry tried to remember but the events were so foggy. "There was a lot of water… and it was cold… I gave her my cloak," Harry finally said, unable to remember anything else.

"That's not what we're talking about." the boy with the blue eyes said. "We know there's something wrong with you. We know you hurt Luna, we want to know how, why you hurt her. She might not have been our friend but she was our underclass mate and we're not going to let any Slytherin punk hurt her,"

Harry's eyes widened marginally. "Someone in Slytherin hurt her?"

One of the boys scoffed in disgust, "We were talking about you dumb ass. You're not that bright, are you, I'm surprised you weren't put in Hufflepuff."

The other boys chuckled at this before closing in on Harry. "Now, how about you tell us what you did to Luna and we don't give you the beating of your life,"

Fear sparked in Harry, coming from a place deep down, someplace primal. "No…" was all he whispered, eyes slowly growing wide.

"All you have to do is tell us," one of the other boys said. It was only then Harry realized they all had their wands in hand.

Harry's hand flew to his chest, grasping at the pendant there as though it could protect him. The spark of fear flickered briefly as one of the boys raised his wand. Harry looked at the boy with the blue eyes, green eyes pleading through the foggy dullness. The boy seemed to flicker for a moment. "Just tell us," he said.

Harry slowly shook his head. He couldn't remember what had happened to Luna. It had been cold and wet and she was hurt and she wouldn't move but then she was breathing and it was all so confusing and now this boys were demanding to know but he didn't know, he didn't know anything.

The boys took Harry's head shake as a sign of refusal and raised their wands. Harry shook slightly, eyeing the wands. One boy smiled, one boy remained stoic, and the third boy, the one with piercing blue eyes closed his eyes, unwilling to watch.

Three beams of light hit Harry, a blue, yellow, and pink. Harry didn't make a sound. He fell to to the floor, nose pleading, face deformed, but still he stayed silent. The slight throbbing from his injuries were nothing compared to what he usually got. He froze at that, what did he usually get? He couldn't remember ever being seriously hurt. Lily had never laid a hand on him and Logan was always coddling him. So why did he get the feeling that he had been hurt a lot worse than this before?

The boys fire a couple more spells, said a few more mean words, and left. Harry couldn't recall just what they had said. The fog was back and it dulled everything. He laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. It was an odd sight, he never realized how many cracks there were or the faint silver lines of magic wound into the stone. It was memorizing. He could stay there for days just watching it but he had classes.

It took a few more minutes before he got up. He tried to remember what class he had but gave up, not caring enough. Draco was usually the one who reminded him about classes. He wondered if Draco had eaten breakfast and made a mental note to make sure he ate at least one sugar quill in class.

With a shrug he headed for Transfigurations. He had that class, right? Sometime in the morning. He wondered what morning this was before realizing, once again, he didn't care. He never did well in that class anyways. Maybe some extra classes might improve his skill.

He was halfway there before he realized he was limping. When he tried to walk normally a slight pang of pain ran up his leg so he ignored it and continued to class. With another few steps he decided to no longer wanted to go to class and headed outside. If any of the teachers care they could come find him.

He settled at his tree by the lake and laid down on the grass, breathing in the clear air. The waves lapped lazily at the shore and he could see the outline of one of the great squids tentacles. He let his fingers dangle in the clear water and closed his eyes, burrowing his face in the soft blades of grass.

After being inside for so long he had forgotten what it was like to be outdoors. Teachers discouraged going outside due to the chill and while that chill nipped at his bare skin he couldn't help but feel rejuvenated by it. His eyes were drawn to the forbidden forest. It had been an even longer time since he had been in there. He bit his lip, wondering, it was probably a bad idea but…

With the brash actions of a twelve year old and none of the usual emotions of fear and excitement Harry plunged into the forest. It felt as though a cool breeze of relief rushed through him and he stilled, closing his eyes. He had missed the magic in here, the wild, unrestrained magic that flowed through every tree, stone, and creature. It was so different from the school, where all the magic was reigned, broken, and beaten. While he couldn't see magical auras anymore he could sense the magic that hung around people when he tried. He didn't try very often though, hating the the feel of magic clinging to the students and teachers like beaten puppies. Only a few people let their magic flow around them freely, Luna was one of them, another being Draco.

Soon enough he found his secret hide away, a majestic tree standing guard in the middle of the forest. Luna had shown him the place at the beginning of the year. He had been outside in the middle of the night, unable to sleep and drawn to the forest. Luna had found him and brought him to this place. Now, whenever he couldn't sleep or felt too overwhelmed by the life or potion he came here. It was one of the few times when he could feel his magic again. In the castle his magic hid away, disliking the confinement, but here his magic frolicked.

He crawled through the roots of the tree until he found his little den. He curled up against one of the roots and looked up at the cloud spotted sky beyond the interweaving roots. Vines slithered from their spot and draped themselves across his shoulders and wound their way around his torso, as though in a soft embrace. A smile ghosted over his lips and he snuggled close, the smell of earth and magic intoxicating him.

The curse injuries from before healed under the touch of the magic, relieving him from any slight discomfort. This magic always healed him and even helped the headaches he had been getting more and more often. He wondered if the magic worked on other people as well or if it was special only to him.

He shrugged and turned his eyes back to the sky.

Draco looked around the Great Hall, wondering where Harry was. He hadn't seen him all day. He was worried something might have happened to him. Merlin only knows how absent minded Harry was, not that it was his fault but still. He had already checked the common room and owlery. Harry was usually never in his room but it didn't seem as though Harry was in the Great Hall either.

Draco sighed and back his way back towards the dungeons and to Harry's room. On his way there he threw his school bag into his own room, no longer in need of it. He rapped on Harry's door several times, wanting to give the boy some privacy for whatever he might be doing. Bursting in on Blaise masturbating had taught him to knock.

There was no answer so Draco slowly opened the door, peeking to make sure he didn't need to hurriedly close the door again.

Harry's room was immaculate. There was no clothes on the floor, the trunk was closed, school bag hanging nicely from a chair, even the bed was made. Draco was surprised, most of the other boys in their year left their junk all over the floor, he did so as well time to time, though he always made sure to clean it up later.

He noticed that the closet door was ajar and made his way over to it, wondering if Harry was in the closet for some reason. Unable to help it he giggled at the thought of Harry 'coming out of the closet'.

"Harry?" he called out, just in case the boy was somewhere in the room and he had just overlooked him.

There was no answer, as he had suspected. He opened the closet door, surprised when a hiss and flash of purple came from it. Toyomoto-hime raced up his leg and onto his arm, still hissing though not as threateningly as before.

"Hey," he murmured, stroking her scales. She calmed and curled. He looked back to the closet and stilled.

There was a small nest of blankets and pillows in the closet, along with several of the books he remembered seeing Harry reading. He knitted his eyebrows together. Was Harry...sleeping in the closet? But why? He knew Harry was a bit quirky but this just seemed odd.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned to scan the room one more time. He could worry about Harry sleeping in a closet later, right now he had to find Harry. Well, if Harry wasn't inside he was probably outside, Draco reasoned. With a shrug he headed for outside.

Several times Toyomoto-hime began to hiss, fangs bared at the wall. Whenever this happened Draco just stroked her scales gently until she calmed. Once they were outside Toyomoto-hime left Draco's arm to curl around his neck contently. Draco rolled his eyes at her odd behavior.

He scanned the grounds but didn't see Harry. He loped down to the lake where Harry liked to read but found that deserted. With a huff of frustration he pulled out his wand. He laid his wand flat on his hand and whispered "Point me Harry Potter". His wand circled several times before stilling, pointing towards the forbidden forest. He groaned and hung his head, rousing Toyomoto-hime who raised her head in curiosity.

"Of course he would be in the forest, where else would he be?" Draco whispered mockingly, heading towards the forest. "The one place that is crawling with deadly creatures and god knows what else. Not to mention, it's nearly night."

He entertained the idea of leaving Harry out there and just sending Snape or one of the other professor go after him but discarded it. Harry was already under suspicious due to the Lovegood incident, it wouldn't look good for the teachers to find him in the forbidden forest only two days later.

He made his way through the forest, careful not to let anything snag at his clothes or get mud anywhere. Every so often he stopped to check he was going in the right direction. After an hour of picking his way through the forest he finally stumbled across a clearing. He gasped as he caught sight of the huge tree in the middle and wondered how it was not visible from the castle. He used the spell once more and followed it into the roots of the tree, trying not to let his awe show as he crawled through the roots.

A childish sense of adventure filled him and a silly grin spread over his lips. Dirt got on his knees and hands but he couldn't bring himself to care as he tunneled through the roots. It was unlike anything he had ever done before, his parents having hated him going outside and ruining his clothes, and he couldn't help but be awed. It was just so amazing. There were vines and flowers everywhere and he could see the sky peeking through the roots above him and below there was the ground and every so often there were little niches. He could stay here all day exploring this place if he had the time. It wasn't until he stumbled across Harry in a little cave that he remembered why he was here.

"Harry!" he called out, climbing in after Harry. It was a bit of a tight fit but they managed. Harry looked at him, a smile on his face.

"Hey Draco," Harry said softly.

Draco blinked, surprised at the smile and the twinkle of life in those emerald eyes. "Hi Harry…"

Harry turned his head back to the sky. Draco suddenly noticed the vines twined around Harry and started.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked.

Harry looked back at him serenely, looking much older than he was, "Hmm?"

"Those vines, it looks like you're stuck…" Draco trailed off as Harry just smiled.

"I'm fine," Harry said. "This always happens when I come here. It's the magic,"

"The magic?" Draco intoned.

Harry simply nodded. He watched as Draco's magic slowly flamed into being, moving to play with the natural magic in the tree. It had been a while since he had seen Draco's magic, the castle often restrained it. The starlite magic was always mesmerizing, especially here, among the deep green vines and sparkling white flowers. Draco's magic shifted closer to Harry and he raised his fingers to allow it to flow between them. Draco watched him curiously and he wished Draco could see the magic.

Draco watched as Harry seemed to play with something, his fingers twirling in the air. He was soon distracted by a nudging at his leg. He looked over to see a small creature looking at him, head cocked to the side. It was about the size of a kitten and looked similar, with long, thin ears that looked liked tuffs of fur, a long tail that was nearly twice the length of itself, and large paws that seemed too big for it. It's eyes were large with odd marking surrounding them, looking almost like alchemical symbols, the eyes themselves a dark purple of flecks of silver throughout. The creature itself was a dark, shimmering blue with silver markings in it's long fur. Draco blinked in surprise, never before having seen a creature like it. The creature blinked back before smiling, showing a row of sharp teeth.

Draco yelped and jerked back, never before having seen any creature smile like that, like a human. The creature seemed amused with his reaction and stalked closer, placing its paws on his leg. He could feel the sharp tips of its claws and hoped it take a fancy to shredding him. Instead of harming him the creature nudged at his hand. With a shaking hand he pet the creature and was rewarded with a noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and purr. It was very odd.

"What are you?" Draco asked, eyeing the thing carefully. The creature ignored him in favour of being pet. After a few minutes he remembered Harry.

"Harry, we need to head back to the castle, it's going to be curfew soon." Draco said, turning to his friend. Harry's face fell and he nodded. Draco reached a hand out to Harry. "Are you okay?"

Harry ducked his head for a moment before looking at Draco. "Yeah, I'm fine." he lied. He didn't want to leave, he was scared to leave. He didn't want to go back to the dull classes, to sleeping in the closet, to trying to live through the fog, to all the shit. He was safe here, he could feel here. The fog was momentarily gone and he was happy, especially with Draco and Toyomoto-hime here.

"Can't we just stay here?" Harry finally asked, voice quivering.

Draco looked up from the demanding creature to see what looked like tears shimmering in Harry's eyes and his eyebrows crinkled in pleading. Draco opened his mouth to shoot down Harry's request, scared of staying out in the forest for a night, even more scared of possibly being caught, but he couldn't. Harry never asked for anything, especially never with tears in his eyes, he couldn't refuse him now. He nodded and smiled at Harry. "Alright, but only for tonight."  
Harry's smile was blinding, or at least for him, and Draco knew he had done the right thing. Never before had he ever seen Harry look so happy. He wished he could see Harry this happy more often.

As night grew the flowers began to glow and small insects that glowed a soft blue filled the air. Harry and Draco chatted, mostly about small things. Harry would tell Draco about the tree, vines, roots, flowers, and creatures around the area, though he didn't know what the odd catlike creature that wouldn't leave Draco alone was. In turn Draco pointed out constellations and told their stories, having studied Greek mythology as a child. Before long the moon had risen and both boys were yawning.

Draco laid down, curling slightly to make room for Harry as he laid down as well. Toyomoto-hime slithered over to Harry and curled around his arm, leaving the odd creature free to sprawl out of Draco chest, much to Draco's disgruntlement, yet when Draco had tried to shove it off it had just dug its claws in threateningly and grinned. With a sigh Draco decided to let it be.

"Night Harry," Draco yawned, snuggling underneath his cloak, glad he had remembered to bring it, and cast a couple of warming spells. He looked over at Harry and saw that the boy hadn't brought a cloak or any warm clothing. With a sigh he scooted closer to Harry and threw his cloak over him as well, casting some more warming spells. He gave a satisfied smile and closed his eyes, fading into sleep.

Harry, who had been on the cusp of sleep, opened his eyes as he felt warmth envelope him. He was surprised to see Draco closer than before, sharing his cloak. The moon teased dark shadows to play against Draco's dark skin, making a lovely contrast. One of the flowers fell from a vine and landed in Draco's hair and Harry giggled. The creature on Draco's chest raised it's head lazily and glared at Harry, as though telling him to shut up. Harry nodded back at the creature and snuggled further into the warmth of the cloak. If only he could stay here forever, happy, warm, and safe.

He watched Draco's sleeping face, wondering what he did to get such a good friend. He knew that most of the time he was out of it and very bad company. To think that someone as amazing as Draco was actually his friend was amazing. He could think of no one else, save perhaps his brother, who would stay the night with him out in the forbidden forest, especially after such a strange creature had taken a liking to them.

A smile whispered across his lips and his eyes fluttered closed, dragged down by sleep. "Night Draco…" he slurred sleepily as he dropped off to sleep.

The night continued on, the tree holding the two boys tight, sheltering them from all harm as they slept. While it would be a long before they slept as peacefully again, for now they were both happy and content as they dreamt through the night.

&&&&&&Chapter End

So, if you weren't able to tell, shit's about to start picking up. It's gonna be great! There was supposed to be more in this chapter but it kinda took on a life of its own so yeah... Well, anyways, hope you've like it. Please review, tell me what you think, what you'd like to see in future chapters, ect. Ciao~


	17. The Chamber of Secrets

Over the next couple of months the castle grew terse with fear as several more students were petrified, two Ravenclaws and a Gryffindor. Madame Pomfrey was growing anxious and hounded Snape for the potion who in turn hounded Sprout. The herbology club with the mandrakes until their screams became lethal; after that Professor Sprout took over their delicate care to ensure that they would be perfect for the potion. Even with all the care the mandrakes wouldn't be ready till April, by the earliest.

So tensions and fears rose with each new victim. First years started traveling in packs and teachers often escorted children from class to class. Few left their common rooms without a friend and the library was practically deserted. Many days there were more ghost than students roaming the hallways. Of course all excursions outside had been forbidden and when the the fifth victim was claimed, a Slytherin this time, the herbology club and quidditch was cancelled.

Christmas was hollow, many students rushing home, leaving only a handful left. Among those were Harry, Logan, Millicent, Terry, and some girl from Ravenclaw named Isobel. Overall the event was quiet and passed in a fearful manner, most students never leaving their common room.

Logan had taken to walking Harry to the hospital wing every morning, scared that something would happen to his little brother. After Luna Harry had been far more out of it than usual and often wandered around the hallways as if unaware of the danger. Logan had enlisted Fred and George into helping him keep an eye on Harry, making sure one of them was near during the day. He had even gone to Malfoy to asked him to keep an eye on his brother. Malfoy had simply sneered and gave him a 'well duh' look that, while irked Logan, made him grateful that Harry had made a friend in the Slytherin house. In turn Draco had asked Blaise, Pansy, and Millicent to keep an eye on Harry as well.

Harry noticed none of this, almost perpetually lost in a haze of drugs. His performance in class dropped lower than ever, though many of the students did as well. Teachers stopped demanding as much from their students and instead did all they could to cheer them up, trying to make everything seem less grim. They hoped the Christmas break would help, but alas, it did not. Tensions were still high as children returned to the castle, several not returning as they were pulled from the school.

Several theories floated around school of what was happening. Many of the teachers were tight lipped, wishing to avoid any unnecessary panic. It was Lockhart who blabbed about the Chamber of Secrets and threw the student population into a frenzy, causing several more muggleborn students to be withdrawn and casting suspicions on the Slytherin House. The other teachers berated Lockhart soundly for his mistake and while he acted contrite at the time he was secretly very glad for a spotlight he had found for himself enlightening the minds of youngsters.

The heads of houses all had their hands full as they kept watched over their students and tried to calm them. Snape found himself in the Slytherin common room more often than not, just tending to his students and reassuring the younger ones. While all of his snakes put on fearless mask around school, acting as though nothing could touch them, the latest attack on a fellow Slytherin had them all shaken. Alone with their classmates, away from the rest of the schools prying eyes, many showed their fear and those who did not kept close to the others, drawing comfort from each other's presence. Snape was proud of how his snakes were handling themselves and helped as much as he could, often escorting them to their classes and staying in the common room late into the night. Several of the younger ones would come up to him under the guise of asking for help on the homework just to be near to him. Most nights he wouldn't make it back to his quarters till after midnight and would wake up exhausted but it was well worth it for his snakes to have some peace of mind. He knew the other heads of house did the same, Minerva having dark bags under her eyes to rival his. The one good thing to come from the tired teachers was the lack of fighting in staff meetings, many being too knackered to even try.

Currently Snape sat at his desk, grading papers. There were only a few more weeks until finals and so far none of the students were prepared, too frightened about the petrifications. The other teachers had similar reports of subpar grades in their classes. There was even talk among the teachers of just cancelling the finals all together.

Rubbing a tired hand across his face Snape marked another paper with a spiky P, even though the paper was of Troll material. A knock at the door drew his attention away from the horrendous papers and he called for the person to enter. Logan entered timidly, looking conflicted as he did so. Intrigued by the lions' entrance he placed his quill down and gestured for the boy to take a seat. Logan did so and bit his lip, not looking the professor in the eye.

"Sir…" Logan swallowed, clearing his throat, and shook his head before looking at the professor. "I'm worried about Harry. He's getting worse."

Snape already had his own worries about Harry and was not surprised by his brothers concerns. Over the course of the past few months Harry had been getting chronic headaches and had fainted three more times. Madame Pomfrey had tried to send Harry to St Mungo's but Dumbledore had stepped in and had a healer sent for to take over Harry's care, much to Pomfrey's ire. Snape had promised the mediwitch to look after Harry as much as he could but there was only so much he could do without direct access to the boy and his medical file (which had also been confiscated by the new healer).

"Care to elaborate?" Snape asked after a brief moment of silence.

Logan cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit his mother was always berating him for. "He's been getting worse, he's rarely there anymore. His teachers have been complaining about him more and he never does his homework. He doesn't even pay attention when me or Malfoy talk to him. He has headaches all the time and barely eats and barely sleeps and I don't know what to do." Logan looked to the professor with needing eyes before continuing. "And I don't like his new healer. She acts like this is all normal, that he's supposed to be like this but he isn't! I've tried going to Dumbledore about it but he just brushed me off, saying the healer will take of it and mum's no help, she says I'm over exaggerating. But there's something wrong with him, seriously wrong."

Snape listened to the teens triade in silence, grateful for the information. He already had his misgivings about the healer and it seemed as though they were not unfounded. He nodded and quirked his mouth as he thought, a habit from his youth he had yet to get rid of. There wasn't much he could do at the moment, not with Dumbledore in the way. Which meant he would have to go talk to his mentor. Perhaps he could talk Minerva into the confrontation; she had had her own concerns about Harry within the last few months.

Turning his attention back to the teen he gave a nod. "Thank you for bringing this information to me. I shall speak with the headmaster immediately and see what I can do. I will tell you about anything that can and will be done to help your brother."

"No!" Logan exploded, rising to his feet. "The Headmaster won't do jack shit! He hasn't done jack shit! I've gone to him several times already and all he's done is smiled and waved me off!" Logan snarled, clenching his jaw before continuing in a slightly more controlled manner. "I think he wants Harry this way… I don't know why else he would be doing all of this…"

Logan looked earnestly into the professor's black eyes, trying to impress the importance of his words onto the older man. "You need to help Harry. No one else will. You're my last hope." he suddenly broke eye contact and looked at the floor as he pushed the last wavering words out. "If you don't I think he'll die…"

"What do you mean by that?" Snape asked sharply. He knew that Harry wasn't alright but he hadn't deemed his condition life threatening. As much as he wanted to blame it on the teen being melodramatic something about the small words and shaking shoulders made him fear for the worst.

Logan sank back into the chair, the rage that had fueled his outburst fading into fear as he thought about his little brother. "He's so weak now, he stumbles all the time, he can barely do magic." He wrapped his arms around himself tightly, feeling cold. "It's like he's withering away. Malfoy is concerned as well. He's tried talking to the headmaster but was rebuked as well. He came to me instead. He said Harry hasn't been sleeping well either and barely eats, getting headaches all the time and whatnot...

Logan let the words trail off, not knowing what else to add. When he voiced it out loud it sounded silly, pedantic really. A few sleepless nights and skipped meals wouldn't kill anyone but there was this coil of fear in his stomach warning that if something didn't change Harry would die. He had just gotten his brother back, he wasn't losing him again.

Snape eyed the hunched child before him. He hadn't known so Harry was that bad. Something had to be done soon. While the child was probably not in a life threatening condition is was better to be safe than sorry. The decision being made he gently placed a hand on Logan's shoulder, drawing the boy's green eyes to his own.

"I will do everything I can to assure your brothers well-being." Snape vowed solemnly. As Logan opened his mouth to interrupt he continued. "And if that means going behind the back of the headmaster I will."

Logan slumped to relief, a small smile slipping onto his lips. "Thank you professor." he gave a joyless chuckle. "If you refused to help I don't know what I would do."

At that moment that boy looked so much older than a fourth year. His boyish features were overshadowed by his haunted eyes and clenched jaw. It surprised Snape at how protected this little lion was over a snake. Many families in different houses, especially opposing houses, often drifted away or fell apart but here was Potter, doing everything he could for a brother he had only know for a couple of years. It was a tragically beautiful thing and made Snape respect the boy a little bit more.

Snape gave another nod. "I will always help a child in need. Come to me with any other information you find. I will be in touch with you soon."  
Logan gave a smile in thanks and quickly left, leaving Snape to his thoughts. Knowing what had to be done he rose and begun the long trek from the dungeons to the headmasters office.

Dumbledore's hand ached from the amount of letters he had been made to pen that day. Letters from angry and scared parents who wanted to pull their children from school had to be answered, the school board had to be consoled, the Ministry of Magic had to be assured that he was still fit to be headmaster, and then there were memos to be sent out to all the teachers about what was happening. He had several teachers at all times looking for the chamber, having them switch out every few hours. They had combed the school several times over and had yet to find anything. People were getting desperate and times looked bleak. If they weren't able to find the chamber, or at least the cause of the petrifications soon, the school would be closed down. Hogwarts was the only wizarding school in England and by closing them down would cause their society to regress and eventually the economy would tank. None of that could be allowed to happen, but it would if something wasn't done soon.

A small charm chimed, alerting him of a presence outside his office door. He locked all his fears away for the time being and schooled his features into a welcoming smile. "Enter," he called before the person ever got the chance to knock.

Severus, used to this sort of occurrence, swept into the room, cloaks billowing around him. He stopped in front of the headmaster's desk, face calm but eyes burning with determination.

Dumbledore pushed down his weariness at having to deal with yet another teacher and smiled kindly. "Ah, Severus, what can I do for you today m'boy?" He forgo the offer of sweets, knowing Severus would turn it down, as he always did.

"I wish to speak with you about Harry Potter," Severus said, getting to the point. "Several classmates of his along with teachers have grown worried about the boy and wish to see something down."

Dumbledore steepled his hands. "Everything that can be done for the boy is being done. He even has his own personal healer in the hospital wing to take care of his potion and make adjustments as needed. We are doing everything we can." he said carefully and slowly.

Severus sneered. "And yet to boy grows weaker by the day."

Dumbledore paused, knowing that if he handled this wrong Severus could muddle quite a few of his plans. If he could pacify Severus he could do away with several other concerned persons as well, he would just have to make sure Severus was convinced all was well. He knew there were some concerns from the other teachers but ultimately they left it to the boys head of house to deal with it. With that in mind he prepared himself for the battle ahead.

"I understand your concerns, it's been worrying me as well." he let his smile dim for a moment. "That's why I requested a specialized healer. She has been researching and treating magical seizures for over thirty years, Healer June is the best in her field."

Severus watched the old man carefully, going over every detail. "Then why is Harry in such poor health at the moment?"

Dumbledore silently cursed the teen for causing such issues at a time like this. If only the potion had continued working adequately for just a few more months. Yet, after Harry's outburst a few months ago they had to change potions and were still working out the kinks. So for the time being Harry was a bit and drawing far too much attention to himself than Dumbledore would like or had suspected.

"Healer June is working on adjusting the potion to suit Harry's needs," Dumbledore explained patiently. "The old dosage was no longer protecting Harry as it should have been so she's been working on fixing it. Due to the delicate nature of the matter it's taking some time and there's still some kinks to be worked out." Dumbledore paused before catching the professor's eye. "Surely a potions master of your caliber can relate."

Severus refused to rise to the gentle jab, knowing that was what the headmaster wanted. It was always easier to control him when he let his emotions get involved and the headmaster had used that against him many times.

"That may be so but it seems as though the potion is causing him serious harm." Severus paused. "I could look at the potion myself and see if there was anything I could do to help." he offered.

Dumbledore smiled generously. "Dear boy, there is no need to go through such lengths. Healer June will take care of everything, it's just a matter of time. Thank you for your concern though, it is deeply appreciated."

"Headmaster, Harry is my student and I wish to do all I can do to help, just as I would for any of my students. It would be no trouble. Besides, I am sure Healer June," he fought not to sneer her name, "would appreciate the help of a potions master. It would speed up the process and have the boy better sooner, which would be in everyone's interest."

Severus silky smooth words were laced with persuasion and demand. Dumbledore fought back a sigh as he realized that he wasn't going to be winning this battle the wits, the most he could do was end it as gracefully as possible and win himself some time before Severus began seriously investigating things. He was going to have to talk to Lily soon as well.

Making a split decision and hoping he wouldn't come to regret it he smile graciously. "Thank you for your offer, I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated. If you so wish you can begin helping Healer June as soon as this incident with the chamber of secrets have been dealt with." he let his smile grow woeful. "Of course, there isn't going to be any more students if this doesn't get handled swiftly."

Severus knew what this was a ploy but knew it was a necessary one. If the 'monster' wasn't caught and the students safety assured there would be no more students, teachers, or Hogwarts. He gave a terse nod, accepting the conditions. "Thank you headmaster."

Dumbledore smiled and saw the other wizard off, letting the smile slip from his face as the door closed. This meant Harry's new potion had to be perfected soon or Hogwarts was going to close down. Severus could not be allowed to find out the truth about the potion, it would wreck havoc on the future of the wizarding world. With everything going on at the moment he did not need another thing to worry about. With a heavy sigh he turned back to the stack of letters on his desk, promising to deal with Severus soon.

The castle was overflowing with fear and while laughs were far and few the Weasley twins, with Logan as their trusty sidekick, still did all they do to bring smiles to peoples faces. For the time being though they had wandered from the harsh pranks (though that might cause a few frowns) and were focusing and bringing laughter back to the halls of Hogwarts. SImple pranks such as waking up with multi coloured hair or finding or clothes filled with flowers were common and suits of armour around the castle often burst into jovial songs. While the teachers knew the cause behind these disruptions and pranks they allowed it for the time being, seeing the need for these silly things. Even Mcgonagall wasn't as strict as normal when a small stuffed cat, closely resembling her animagus form, was enchanted to follow her around and randomly sing songs about muffins and creme during her lectures.

Behind the scenes though the twins and Logan were as scared and worried as everyone else. They tried to look into the Chamber of Secrets and managed to find nothing. Finally accepting defeat they went to Hermione, one of the smartest witches in the tower. With her help they combed the library and the minds of several professors to discover that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened around fifty years before. Though the records reported only one death of a student they found contradicting reports in the death toll of Hogwarts for that year and what they had managed to get from Hagrid and Pomfrey. While they didn't know for sure they theorized there were as many as eleven killings, many of them gruesome, before the Chamber had been closed. Hagrid had been expelled the same year and thought to have hide the monster, believing it innocent, but after questioning the man (and a questioning journey into the forest) they discovered that the monster had not been caught or even discovered. It took another three weeks of combing the libraries resources before they found anything. By that time the break was only two weeks away and the threats of closing Hogwarts were slowly coming a reality.

Hermione came racing up to the upper classmen, a book held tight within her arms. She skidded to a stop in front of them, panting. "Guys, I think I've found it, the monster!"

Logan held out a hand to steady her while the twins crowded close. "What did you find?" they asked in unison.

Hermione opened the book to a premarked page and began to read.

" _Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."_

Hermione paused, looking at the trio. "I think a Basilisk has been doing the killings."

Logan frowned, deep in thought. "That would explain why Hagrid's roosters have all been killed and the trails of spiders fleeing, along with why Aragog didn't wish to talk about it." he mused.

"But why is nobody dead yet?" Fred pipped in.

George joined in. "So far everyone has only been petrified."

Hermione nodded. "I thought the same thing but then remembered how each of the victims were found. Luna was found in the water, Colin with his camera, the Ravenclaw with a mirror, the Slytherin had classes. I mean, every one of them had some form of reflective device. If this creature hasn't eaten in years it's probably very weak plus only seeing the reflection probably just petrified them."

The three older teens nodded. Fred turned towards the younger girl. "How would it move around though? Something like that would be hard to keep a secret."

George gave a small gasp of surprise. "The pipes Fred. The bloody thing is traveling in the pipes!"

Logan looked at the ragtag team of good doers. "We need to tell someone about this, a teacher or the headmaster."

The three nodded in agreement and began making their way to Professor Mcgonagall's study when alarms rang throughout the school.

"ALL STUDENTS MAKE YOUR WAY BACK TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. PLEASE DO SO IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION. ALL HEADS OF HOUSES MAKE SURE EVERY STUDENT MAKES IT BACK TO THEIR COMMON ROOM AND DO HEAD COUNTS. ALL STUDENTS, MAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS IMMEDIATELY…" The loud message continued, repeating the message. The four looked at each other.

"What do you think is going on?" Logan asked, almost having to yell to be heard.

The twins shrugged, worried looks on their faces. "I dunno but we should get her back to the common room before finding a Professor. I think something serious has happened."

Logan glanced at Hermione and nodded. "Come on then, let's go."

They made their way back to the common room, Hermione clutching her book in fear. The three older classman made a loose, protective circle around her, which she was grateful of. The message fell silent as they stumbled through the portrait hole. Most of Gryffindor was already in there, faces pale with worry. Many of them huddled together by the fire and whispers flew about, speculating what had happened. As of it it seemed as though no one knew why they had been called back to their common room and the not knowing scared them so much more.

The four found a spot by the fireplace. They were soon joined by a miserable looking Ron, Ginny, and Percy, all wanted to be close to family and draw comfort from one another. They stayed silent, unsure of what to say, unsure if words would even help. Aside from a few miserable whispers the rest of the common room was silent as well. After the sun had sunk below the horizon and the moon had begun to peek through the window the portrait hole opened once more, allowing in Professor Mcgonagall.

"Is everyone here? Is there anyone in the dormitories? If so please fetch those individuals." She called out in a loud commanding voice. Several students hurried to do as she said and five minutes later the entire Gryffindor house was assembled in the common room. Professor Mcgonagall conducted a brief headcount, repeating it once more to ensure she had gotten everyone. When she was done she called for everyone to listen.

"As of today Hogwarts has been closed."

The common room was filled with commotion and protest, much from the older classmen. The professor raised her hand for silence before continuing.

"Please have your bags packed by tonight. Tomorrow the train will be arriving to take everyone home. Your parents have already been informed and will be waiting for you."

The house settled into mutinous whispers but there was no outrage as before. Mcgonagall turned to leave only to be stopped by a small voice.

"Why are we being sent home professor?" Hermione asked quietly.

Professor Mcgonagall let her shoulders sag and turned to meet first the girls eyes then the rest of her house. "Hogwarts has been closed due to the disappearance of one of our student. It is no one in Gryffindor. We are unaware of their identity as of yet but it has been deemed that you are no longer safe here." she looked at the frightened faces. "I am sorry," with that she left, leaving the house is confusion. Speculations about the identity of the missing student began to fly. Names thrown around and concern voiced, especially by those with family and friends in other houses.

The twins, Logan, and Hermione shared glances, wondering if the information they had would even do any good by this point.

"Should we…?" George voiced the question they were all asking themselves. Hermione clutched her book tightly, as a child does a stuffed animal. Logan took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, though not all of us, it's too much of a risk. I'll go tell the professor." Logan decided. Hermione looked relieved while the twins had mutinous expressions. Logan directed his next words at them. "I know you want to come and help but right now there's already one student missing and we don't need more. Besides, I have my dad's cloak, remember?" he alluded to the invisibility cloak that his mother had given to him last year, a relic of his father's. It had been useful in many of the dubious adventures he had shared with the twins and now it would prove useful in a matter of importance.

The twins scowled but nodded in approval. "Make sure you came back in one piece. If you're not back within the hour we're coming after you." Fred threatened. Logan smiled, touched by their concern.

"I wouldn't expect anything else." he pulled the twins into a quick hug before racing up to his dorm to grab the cloak. He called out a farewell on his way out and pulled the cloak over himself as he ducked into the hallway. He was forcibly reminded that while the cloak may make him invisible it doesn't stop others from running into him as he was jostle, a small figure landing on the ground with a small noise of complaint.

Logan hurried looked down to see Draco Malfoy sprawled on the floor and quickly scrambling to his feet.

"Who's there?" the pale boy asked, pulling out his wand. A hiss alerted him to Toyotama-hime coiled around Malfoy's neck. _What was Malfoy doing outside the Gryffindor common room with Harry's snake?_

Making a split decision Logan pulled the cloak back, revealing his face. Malfoy gave a small shriek as his floating head appeared.

"Malfoy, it's me, Logan," he said.

Malfoy snarled. "I can see that, where's the rest of you?"

"It's an invisibility cloak." Logan took off the cloak quickly, not wanting to waste time. "Why are you here? Why do you have Harry's snake?"

Malfoy paled at Logan's words, a look of urgent fear flooding his eyes. "I can came to find you! It's about your brother-"

"What's wrong with Harry?" Logan demanded, cutting Malfoy off. Fear coiled in his stomach. Did something happen to Harry?  
Draco shot him a peeved look before continuing on. "He's been taken into the Chamber of Secrets."

&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Ayy bitches, I'm back for the time being. I was told I was going too slow so I've started picking up the pace cuz I still got to get through this year before we get to the good stuff. Here's a cliffhanger (cuz it was necessary) I'll post the next chapter soonish (probably within the week since I already got it all planned out)

Rate and review and whatnot. Thanks for reading (especially since I haven't updated in ages!) You guys are pretty chill


	18. Dance with the Devil

Harry's head pounded as he was forced into consciousness. A whimper of pain escaped him and he squeezed his eyes tight. Pain assaulted him, making his nerves sing. He tried to figure out where he was, what had happened. Trying to remember sent flares of pain through his head and he threaded his fingers through his hair, feeling as though he was holding his skull together, but persevered as he tried to recall. Fragmented memories were all that rewarded him; dinner in the great hall, loud noise, Draco's face looming, asking if he was alright, stumbling down a hallway, a single lamp flickering feebly, collapsing in a bathroom, moonlight streaming through the window, water dampening his slacks, a diary held in his hands, darkness.

With a gasp emerald green eyes shot open, only to be closed as another wave of pain struck him, threatening to empty the contents of his stomach. As the pain receded to a tolerable level he cracked his eyes open, duly noticed being pressed against a cold, stone floor. He blinked and fully opened his eyes, only to find the world painted red. Blood stained his clothes, the floor, his hands, splattered in delicate arches against the wall he could see and on the steps.

He scrambled onto his hands and knees, world shaking as he behold his blood stained hands. Slowly, he lifted his hands to his face, unable to focus on anything else. _What had happened? What was going on?_

With a ragged breath he whipped his head around in fear. He was in a giant chamber, none that he had ever seen before. The ceiling was out of sight, shrouded in darkness. The walls littered with carvings and delicate craftsmanship. Pillars curved around the room in an artful manner. Snakes stared back at him from every surface, small snakes carved into the walls, large stone snakes winding around pillars, all staring at him with dead, gem eyes.

He was ontop of a small flight of stairs, surrounded by a puddle of blood. His clothes were torn and there were large gashes littering his pale skin. As he noticed them he began to feel the pain, dull and aching. _Was all this blood..? Was it his…?_

His breathing quickened, verging on hyperventilation. _What was going on? What had happened? Why couldn't he remember anything?_ These questions circled around his head, threatening to overwhelm him. He keened as he covered his face with his hands, eyes wide and unseeing through his fingers. The questions in his head were reaching a fever pitch, screaming at him, mocking him, driving him insane. As he drew in a ragged breath to scream a voice spoke up behind him.

"Ah, you're awake." The voice was smooth and silky, as comfortable and sharp as a dagger. "Took you long enough. I had grown bored of waiting for you to wake. Torturing those asleep is simply no fun."

Harry whirled around, somehow finding his way to his feet. He swayed dangerously as his world tilted yet to managed to stay on his feet. Standing before him was a young teen, roughly seventeen years of age. His hair was black, falling in graceful waves over dark eyes, a perfect contrast to his pale skin and dusky red lips. The boy was dressed impeccable, his robes perfect, a slytherin tie clasped around his neck. There was a spring in his step as he advanced towards Harry, a gleeful smile playing on his lips.

"At a loss for words young Harry?" the boy asked, he pouted. "You're no fun,"

He was in front of Harry now. A pale hand snaked out and grabbed a hold of his chin, dragging his face up, and the boy leaned in close, a hair breath away.

"Come on, you remember me, don't you?" the boy voice was soft and playful, eyes bright with a childish glee. Harry tried to speak but to no avail. Instead he shook his head numbly, eyes wide in fascination and fright. The boy looked deep into those fear filled iris's, drinking in the sight.

"Riddle," the boy breathed, his warm breath washing over Harry. "Tom Marvolo Riddle,"

Harry simply nodded, still lost in confusion. Riddle apparently saw the confusion is Harry's eyes and pulled away, lifting a wand, Harry's wand, and began to write. The flaming letters of _Tom Marvolo Riddle_ filled the air. With another swish of his wand the letters rearranged themselves to form _Lord Voldemort._ Riddle smirked and stood off to the side, arms folded, waiting for the stun reaction that never happened. Harry merely stared at the letters in confusion tinged with slight understanding, eyebrows drawn together, mouth marred with a frown. Riddle sighed and waltzed back up to Harry.

"I'm the one who killed you, or at least tried to." Riddle finally spelt out for the child. He paused for a moment upon seeing the confused, conflicted emerald eyes. "You don't remember, do you?"

Harry shook his head, scared and confused. He couldn't understand what was going on, what was happening. Everything was happening too fast, rushing through him. All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide, away from all of this.

Riddle heaved a sigh before inspecting the child. He frowned deeply and waved Harry's wand a couple of times, running brief test. After a moment the frown morphed into a smile and he giggled in glee. "Oh, I knew that old Albus wasn't the hero everyone thought he was but I never thought he'd do something like this,"

"What is it?" Harry asked. The panicked terror was slowly bleeding away into a dull confusion. He didn't understand what was going on and a small part was scared to know.

Riddle flashed a giant smile, practically clapping his hands in glee as a shudder of pleasure ran through him. "Ah Albus," he purred fondly. "I knew you were a cold hearted bastard but I never knew you would do something like this, especially to a child." he paced as he talked, head swaying as though listening to a song only he was privy to. Suddenly, he rounded on Harry, a cheshire grin on his lips, eyes wild. Harry shrunk in fear, whimpering slightly. Riddle's smile only grew and he raised a hand to caress Harry's cheek.

"He's killing you," Riddle murmured softly. "Slowly but surely." he giggled again. "I didn't even need to come after you."

Harry felt weak and his legs gave out. If it hadn't been for the pale arms that snagged him from the air he would have fallen. He found himself flushed against Riddle, dark eyes filled with wicked glee boring into his.

"Poor Harry," Riddle gently pulled Harry into a dance, practically dragging the boy through the steps. Harry stumbled and tripped but Riddle didn't let that deter him. "Poor innocent Harry. You didn't even know. Then again, how could you? Albus is supposed to be of the light, protector of the innocent, yet here I have one of the most innocent of his children held in my arms," Riddle looked down at Harry, "And you're dying, all because of the oh so pure Albus Dumbledore."

Harry, finally remembering how to move, tried to shove Riddle away, "What are you talking about?!" he cried fearfully, still trying to pull away from Riddle's grasp. Riddle held him tight and chuckled once more.

"Your death," Riddle said with a patronizing smile. "I'm talking about your death. That little potion little Albus has been giving you, it's killing you. Now, if he is purposely trying to kill you I don't know but he should know that locking a child's magic away will eventually kill them." Riddle paused, in both words and dance, an amused smile on his lips as he stared into space. "He should have learnt that lesson after his mistakes with me; the child either dies or gets stronger."

Harry tried to process the new information, trying to piece it together. _He was dying? But no, that couldn't be, he couldn't be. And Riddle…_ He looked at the other boy who simply smirked back.

Riddle's smile grew sympathetic and he pulled Harry into a gentle hug, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry child, everything will be over soon."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, voice muffled against Riddle's chest. The embrace was soft and welcoming still he trembled in fear, voice shaking.

Riddle ran a hand through the boy's unruly hair, as though trying to calm him. He continued in the same soft voice as before, like a mother trying to soothe her frightened child. "You see Harry, I've chosen you to revive me. That little diary you found in your room, that you threw into your drawers and forgot about, I was in there, hiding, waiting. Now, the plan was for you to write to me and I would slowly take you over that way. Luckily that little potion you're taking made your magic so weak that it didn't even fight me as I took you over. I have brought you to the Chamber of Secrets and shall continue to drain you of your magic, essence, and life until you are no more."

With a cry of rebellion Harry threw himself away from Riddle. The world spun at the sharp movement and he fell to the floor, head hitting the grey stone with a sickening crack. Riddle, mildly impressed at the boys show of rebellion, knelt by the boy's head, making sure he had the boy's attention before he continued.

"Don't fret child, not all is lost. You won't die, not entirely at least. You'll become part of me. We'll be one and together we'll bring Albus to his knees, force him to repent for his sins against us and others." the words were mesmerizing and filled with promise. A pause and they shifted to a darker yet amused tone. "We'll also destroy the barrier between the magical and muggle world and ride the world of muggles but I have a feeling you won't be as enthused about that."

Harry flinched as Riddle's fingers traced his cheek, wiping away tears he hadn't realized were there. "Hush child, everything will be fine. For now just sleep."

At those words an overwhelming urge to sleep swept over him, making his eyelids heavy. He tried to refuse, tried to tell Riddle he would never do something like that but his tongue wouldn't move and his lips only parted with an inaudible pop. As Riddle was reaching over to close his eyelids a shout as loud as a gunshot rang throughout the echoing chamber.

"HARRY!"

Riddle gave Harry a rueful smile. "I'll be right back," he promise, caressing the boy's face once more before rising and twirling gracefully.

Draco Malfoy and Logan Potter stood before him, Logan panting and red with fury, Draco hyperventilating and pale with fear. He chuckled at the two. They probably believed they were actually going to save Harry and get out of here alive. Such innocence was beautiful. He couldn't wait to destroy it.

"Well, well, well," he drawled as he descended down the steps that separated them. Draco visibly blanched while Logan tensed. "If it isn't the boy who lived and the young Draco Malfoy. You should have told me you were coming, I would have spruced the place up a bit." he airily waved a hand to indicate the chamber. He paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking both of them in the eyes before speaking. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We're here to get my brother back!" Logan snarled, stepping forward, wand raised.

Riddle raised an eyebrow at the gesture, posture laxed. "You mean that brother?" he indicated towards Harry with a tilt of his head. "The one's that is dying?"

"What have you done with him!?" Logan demanded, stalking forward. "I swear, if you've hurt one hair on his head…"

Riddle threw his head back and laughed, easily dodging the curse Logan sent at him, and prowled to the left. "Oh darling, I'm not the one killing Harry, that's your little headmaster's doing, I'm just speeding up the process some."

With a howl of fury Logan launched himself at Riddle. Riddle merely dodged before grabbing the Gryffindor's arm and dragging it behind his back, shoving a leg in between the other boy's to catch him off balance. Logan struggled against the hold but Riddle merely tightened the grip on his arm, yanking it upwards just a hair to elicit a small whimper of pain from the blue eyed teen. Riddle nicked Logan's wand and neatly snapped it before snaking a hand through Logan's sandy locks and yanking his head back sharply.

"So, you are the famous Logan Potter who defeated me as a child." Riddle purred into his ear. Dark eyes flickered over the body he held. "Not so much a child anymore,"

Logan jerked violently as he realized who held him. His blue eyes widened and the breath left his body. Voldemort… this was Voldemort. Voldemort was supposed to be dead, or at least a shadow of what he once was. Looking over the boy he realized that this was the same dark lord that had come to kill him on that Halloween night so many years prior. This one was younger, somehow having reversed the spell of time. In fact it appeared as though he was a Hogwart's student. It didn't make sense but the feeling of hot breath near his ear and a predatory growl reminded him that he didn't have time to make sense of all of this, he needed to survive.

"Let me go!" he protested. Riddle merely chuckled.

"I've been after you for eleven years now, there's no way I'm letting you go that easily," Riddle said darkly. Logan growled ominously but could do nothing in this position. His blue eyes flickered to the motionless body of his brother and he clenched his jaw. He had to get to him soon.

Draco watched as Riddle bound Logan and threw him onto the eyes flickered towards where Harry was lying. He knew he should run to his friend, help him, or at least try to help Logan but he was frozen. Fear had paralyzed him. All he could do was stare at the dark haired young man whose smile spoke of death and pain. Monsters were supposed to be beast with sharp teeth and claws that could be fought away with magic. Monsters were supposed to be twisted and crippled, horrific to look at. Monsters were supposed to be flawed and easy to overcome. Monsters weren't supposed to have silky voices and lazy grins. Monsters weren't supposed to handsome and witty with the grace of a prince. Monsters weren't supposed to be perfect and deadly. Yet, staring at Riddle, Draco had no doubt that he was facing a true monster. A monster that had just taken the boy who lived, one of the greatest heroes, and tossed him aside like a broken doll.

 _No, this couldn't be happening...No...This...It's wrong...Everything is wrong...Make it stop… Make It Stop...MAKE IT STOP!_

Trembling he took a small step back, shaking his head slowly, unable to comprehend what was happening. His eyes pinballed between the bloodstained Harry, the broken hero, and the beautiful monster. Another step back and the monsters head swiveled, dark orbs capturing his, holding him in place. Before he could blink a pale hand had grasped his neck and the monsters face was inches from his. But it wasn't a monster, it was a boy, only a few years older than him. His trembling got worse as everything he knew was shredded, torn to pieces as the boy holding him smiled gently.

"Ah, the scent of fear," Riddle breathed in deeply, lashes fluttering shut in delight. "Poor little Malfoy, I expected better from you. Is daddy not raising you right?"

Draco stood as still as he could, trying not to move, not to breathe. Tears dripped off his chin as he was faced with the harsh truth of reality. Monsters didn't hide under the bed at night, whispering dark things from the closet, they looked just like everyone else and whispered inviting promises in your ear.

The scent of Draco's fear called to Riddle, the sight of the boy's tears made him smile. It had been far too long he had tasted fear like, seen a child cry as such. Slowly he leaned in, savouring the sweet scent, and licked a stripe up the boy's neck, tasting the fear and adrenaline soaked sweat. A low moan rose in his throat in response to Draco's sobbing gasp. The boy was trying so hard to stand strong, to not give into the mind consuming terror lurking on the vestiges of his mind, it was delicious. Without warning he bit down on the junction of the boy's neck and shoulder, drawing blood. The sweet tang of copper filled his mouth and he lapped lapped lazily at the bitemark as the blond collapsed, held upright only by the tight grip on his wrist and throat.

Draco gave into hysteria, sobbing, howling, and whimpering, begging for it to stop. Sobs choked him and he had to fight for breath through the tears. Riddle chuckled against his neck, drinking in the other boy's misery. Ah, how he had missed this.

Deciding he had enough of tormenting the pitiful blonde for now Riddle released him. Draco slid to the ground in a lifeless heap, body wracked by sobs. With a satisfied smirk Riddle turned to face the still bound 'boy who lived'.

"You know," he started cordially, "I don't have to kill you. Even though you nearly killed me you were a babe, can hardly be blamed. I did try to kill you first. You could join me, become one of my death eaters. You would still have to go through the ceremonial torture and whatnot, traditions to be kept and the such, but you wouldn't be like the rest of those cowering mutts, you would be at my right hand. You would be…" he paused, searching for the word. "A pet." he finally decided. He knelt by Logan and grabbed his face, roughly forcing him to look at him. a slow, satisfied smile curled over his lips. "Yes, you would be my little pet."

Logan, fed up with the teens mad ranting, spat at him, hitting his cheek. "I will never join you, you swine."

Instead of getting angered as Logan thought the dark lord would do Riddle merely released him to wipe the saliva from his cheek. Logan watched as the teen stood, eyes filled with disappointment.

"Pity," Riddle said and that was all the warning Logan got before a leather clad boot knocked his head to the side. He yelped as blood filled his mouth, the copper taste making him sick. Riddle examined him with dark eyes. "You would have been my favorite."

As Riddle raised his foot to strike again a sudden commotion from above drew his attention. Logan looked as well and nearly cried from relief as he saw Fawkes soaring above them. Fawkes trilled once before swooping down, talons catching Riddles chest and leaving eight jagged lines. While Riddle was doubled over in pain, cursing at the phoenix, Logan willed all his magic into breaking him free, as Lily had taught him to do. Within seconds he was free. He leapt forward, grabbing the wand from Riddle's hand and quickly backed away, wand raised.

Riddle scowled at the sudden turn of events. He cast one more glare at the bird, watching it fly to the tall ceiling, before returning his attention back to Logan.

"So the kitty finally grew claws," he mocked. "Took you long enough."

Logan ignored the words and began casting every spell and curse he knew that could harm, disable, or hinder an opponent. Riddle managed to avoid them, dancing gracefully around the chamber, feet barely seeming to touch the ground. They circled each other, Logan moving to make sure Riddle came no closer. After a few minutes of this dance the taunts returned.

"Oh Logan, you're going to have to do better than that to defeat me," Riddle called. "I mean, you haven't even touched me and I'm defenseless." his hands were held up to prove his point.

Logan snarled and began casting darker and darker spells, knowing that Lily or Dumbledore wouldn't approve of them. Riddle seemed to enjoy this, laughing as the spells grew more vicious and Logan grew more frustrated.

"Is the boy wonder turning to dark magic?" Riddle asked, looking aghast. "Surely this cannot be for he is all that is good and light in this world?" Riddle's following laughter echoed throughout the chamber, enraging Logan all the more.

A cutting curse finally landed, nicking Riddle's cheek. Logan was taken back as he saw the white gleam of bone showing through the bloody gore. Riddle's smile grew as he watched Logan's reaction and quickly advanced. "Scared of a little blood?"

Logan, coming to his senses, shook his head clear and continued with his onslaught, throwing every curse he knew. His limbs were trembling with the effort of wielding so much magic and sweat dripped down his face, back, and arms. His breath came out in ragged gasp. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Riddle, as though sensing his weakness, grew bolder in his advances, often coming within reaching distance, forcing him back.

Draco watched the two older teens circle each other in a deadly dance. His pale eyes were dull, body still, having shut down after being unable to face the new reality of his world. Occasionally violent tremors wracked his body, the only proof he was still alive.

A small part of his mind had connected the boy before him to the dark lord his father was always praising. He didn't know how, didn't know if he wanted to know how, but the dark lord stood before him, had caressed him, had marked him… Blood still oozed from the bite mark, a wound he knew would never truly heal. The dark lord never let those marked forgot that they were. As long as the dark lord existed so would this mark.

 _You stupid human,_ a voice hissed within his skull, startling him from his passive state. Toyotama-hime slithered from her hiding inside his robes and draped around his shoulders. _You can deal with your life crisis later, Harry needs you._

Spurred on by her words Draco lurched to his feet, nearly crashing back down to the ground in his haste. He put everything that didn't have to do with immediate survival from his mind and focused at the task at hand. He hurried to his friend and dropped heavily onto his knees besides his head.

Laying on the cold floor Harry looked so small, like a discarded toy. Blood stained most of him, his clothes in near tatters. Fresh blood leaked from a small scuff mark on the side of his head, old blood dried along jagged gashes that lacerated his body. He was so pale he looked nearly see through. Small tremors running throughout the shattered boys body were the only thing reassuring him Harry was alive. As gentle as he could he lifted Harry head onto his lap, carefully minding any and all injuries, trying not to aggravate them.

"Harry, it's me, Draco," Draco murmured quickly, trying not to draw attention to them. He kept one eye on the battle raging on the other side of the chamber and the other on his far too pale friend. Toyotama-hime slithered over to Harry, hissing things he could not understand.

Harry whined, a low and pitiful sound, head tossing side to side. Draco froze, watching to see if the dueling couple noticed. When neither turned towards them he turned back to Harry, running a gentle hand over the boys face and hair. "Come one Harry, I need you to wake up, we need to get out of here."

Toyotama-hime hissed what he could only guess were encouragements, slithering over the boy's neck and face. Slowly Harry opened his eyes, causing Draco to sag in relief before remembering the danger they were in.

"Harry, we need to get out of here. Can you stand?" Draco asked urgently. Harry's eyes slid over him before focusing on him, dull sparks of recognition the only life in those emerald depths. Harry tried to say something, words far too quiet for him to hear. He leaned close to those pale moving lips until they brushed against his ear, tickling him.

"The diary…" Harry rasped. "You need to destroy it… Riddle's attached to it… he'll die…"

Draco swallowed nervously. By doing this he was going against the dark lord, the man he had bred and trained to serve, love, and heed his entire life. After this there was no going back. He would be turning his back on not only the dark lord but his friends and family as well.

Fear and uncertainty threatened to overwhelm him again. Had did someone take everything they had been taught, everything they had come to accept as true, everything they knew, and throw it away. His breathing quickened as adrenaline flooded his system. His hands shook and he began to curl inward, unable to face the decision before him.

A sharp hiss reminded him of what was important; survival. He could deal with everything else later but for the time being he had to survive. After taking a few deep breathes he gently laid Harry's head onto the ground.

"I'll be back, you stay here," Draco commanded then turned to address Toyotama-hime. "You watch over him." the snake hissed in what he assumed was agreement and he stood, searching for the diary.

Before he could find the sought item Fawkes swooped before him, forcing him to step back in order to avoid the giant bird. With a dull thud the sorting hat landed at his feet. He snatched it up, hoping it held something that would help, and plunged his hand into its depths. He touched metal only to pull back as it burned his hand. His palm was an angry red and throbbed softly. Growling he plunged his hand back into the hat, yanking out a sword.

It was heavy and felt powerful in his grasp, a ruby at its tip, engraving running down the handle. The name _Godric Gryffindor_ winked up at him, explaining why he was burned. Godric's sword had been enchanted that only true Gryffindors could wield it, or at least wield it without injury.

A pained shout tore his attention from the sword to the duo. It looked as though Riddle had finally gotten the upperhand over Logan, who was on the ground without a wand in sight. Even from here he could see Logan's muscles spamming from the strain and overuse, eyes bright with exhaustion and fear. With a roar Draco took up the sword in both hands, it was far too heavy to carry otherwise, and ran towards Riddle, swinging at him with everything he had. The sword caught Riddle in the side, a small spray of blood splattering Draco as the swords momentum dragged him in a circle, nearly throwing him to the ground. Behind him Riddle hissed in pain and rage. He turned to see the wound festering, burning at the skin. His victorious smile lasted for the few seconds it took for Riddle to steady himself, fading as Riddle's dark eyes met his, promises of pain in their inky depths. Logan took the opportunity to tackle Riddle, sending them both crashing to the ground.

"You fools!" Riddle growled, wrenching himself from Logan, forcing himself onto his feet, swaying unsteadily. "I was going easy on you but it seems like you desire pain." he begun to his, much to Draco's and Logan's terror. A soft rumbling rose from one of the many tunnels in the chamber, validating their fear.

Riddle laughed, loud and chaotic, eyes dancing with mad glee, and looked towards Logan. "You should have joined me," then they swung over to Draco. "And you shouldn't have fought me. I could have made you the youngest death eater, an honour that many would have jumped at the chance to have. Now I will make it so there are no remains to be found."

Draco paled at the words but kept his focus on the tunnel, the rumbling growing louder. Logan, seeing Draco's fear, hurried to the other boy's side and took the sword from his limp grip. Draco had just turned to Logan questioningly as a ginormous snake came barreling out of the tunnel. Riddle hissed something and the snake responded, heading towards them. Logan tackled Draco out of the path of the snake, ignoring the dark chuckles from Riddle as he skipped about to watch the two clambour to their feet.

"Follow me," Logan commanded, running towards one of the tunnels. With a mute nod Draco obeyed, staying on his heels. They turned and twisted, forcing the huge snake into awkward positions as it tried to catch them.

"It's a basilisk," Draco yelled as he found his voice, "Don't look it in the eyes."

Logan nodded, already knowing the information but not wanting to waste the breath to tell the other boy. An earsplitting noise, sounding like a mix between a hiss and scream, assaulted their ears, forcing them to look over their shoulders. Fawkes converged on the basilisk, talons tearing at its eyes. Drops of crimson shattered on the ground, adding to the orchestra of blood already present. The basilisk flailed blindly as Riddle hissed angrily at it, only to freeze a moment later and began flicking it tongue.

"It's trying to smell us," Draco breathed next to him. He bit his lip, they needed a plan. Right now there were no good options. Draco's scream of, "HARRY" broke him from his thoughts and he looked to the mentioned boy in question.

Harry was lying where Draco had left him but was now flickering, like an old wizarding photo nearing the end of its usefulness. Fear flooded him at the thought of losing his friend. An old diary about ten feet from Harry brought back his words. With a burst of courage he raced towards his friend, past the basilisk whose giant head swiveled in his direction, and snagged the diary. The chamber was filled with Riddle's outraged hisses but he ignored them as he ducked into a small side tunnel, mind racing as he raced through a maze of tunnels.

He had to destroy the diary. Harry had said doing so would kill Riddle, thus ending whatever enchantment Riddle had over Harry. There wasn't much to destroy a diary, particularly an enchanted, in here. He racked his brain for ideas. Normal magic wouldn't do and he didn't know enough chaotic magic to do it. The Gryffindor sword might work but it was too far away and he didn't know how to get out this maze. The basilisk had followed him, blocking him from going the way he came, and Harry didn't have enough time for him to figure out how to escape. He halted to a stop as he remembered something he had learnt long ago under the tutelage of his godfather. Basilisk were extremely venomous, their venom could just about anything, eat through any enchantment, nullify any spell.

The basilisk could be heard thundering down the tunnels after him. It was close, a lot closer than he liked. His mind raced, there were no other options. There was only one way to save Harry. The basilisk appeared at the end of the tunnel he was in, tongue flicking out briefly to check before it began slithering towards him. With a great deal of courage, and far more stupidity, he held still as the snake surged forward, maw open. He screwed his eyes closed and held the diary out before in. The sound of paper tearing was all the warning he had before his world exploded in pain.

Logan cursed as the blond ran off. What the bloody hell could the idjit be thinking!? He raced after him, trying to distract the snake but to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco scoop up something before stumbling into a tunnel, the snake on his heels. With a curse he plunged in after the two. The blond better know what he was doing because he sure as hell didn't.

The basilisk was fast, speeding through the tunnels. He nearly lost it twice but managed to find it in the end. He managed to nick the thick hide several times but unless the snake stopped moving he couldn't get a clear shot in. He could hear Draco's footsteps in front of them and was glad for the reassurance that he was okay, that is, until they halted.

With a growl he pushed himself faster to catch up to Draco and the basilisk. The kid better not be planning anything stupid. A howl of pain alerted him to the fact that Draco had, in fact, been planning something stupid. He silently prayed that the boy was okay and raced through the tunnel.

The basilisk was in sight now, almost too big for the tunnel. As soon as he was in range he swung the sword, bringing it down on the basilisk's tail. Another howl of pain echoed throughout the tunnel, this one inhuman. The scales split with a satisfying tear, hot blood gushing from the creature, coating his arms and torso. He didn't pause to wipe the blood from his eyes as he scaled withering creature, grateful for the small space so the basilisk couldn't throw him off. He tripped and stumbled, hack and slicing at parts of the basilisk as he worked his way to the head. He was nearly thrown several times and would have if he hadn't dug the blade into the basilisk and held on for dear life. Finally he reached the head. With a mighty roar he rammed the sword into the basilisk's skull with all his strength, managing to bury it to the hilt. Beneath him the basilisk began spasming, thrashing wildly as death came for it. He, too weak to fight anymore, was thrown and hit the side of the tunnel with a dull thud before falling to the floor.

A whimper of pain forced him to lift his throbbing head. Draco laid barely ten feet away, bleeding profusely from his arm and shoulder. A shredded journal was held tightly in one hand. He heaved himself to his feet and grabbed Draco, the boy feeling dangerously light. He was slightly light headed, probably had a concussion, but otherwise had no major injuries and managed to make it to the main chamber with Draco in his arms.

Fawkes gave a trill of triumph as they emerged from the tunnel. The bird swooped down, claws hidden this time, and landed softly on Draco. He remembered Hagrid telling him about the healing properties of phoenix tears and gently set Draco down to allow Fawkes greater access to the boy. The phoenix perched on Draco's chest and plucked the basilisk fang from the boy before silver tears of healing fell over the wounds. Once reassured Draco would be alright he stood and left the boy's side.

He looked around the chamber and smiled as he found no trace of Riddle. Remembering Harry he hurried to him. Harry laid where he had been left, breathing fast and shallow, but alive and whole, no longer flickering in and out of existence. Solace flooded through his body and he dragged Harry into his arms, tears of exhaustion and relief dripping down his face. His body shook as he wept, clutching Harry like a stuffed animal. "We're alive," he sobbed, a wide smile splitting his face. "We're alive."

&&&&&&&&&&Chapter end

Hope you like this one! It was one of my favorites to write. I had a hell of a time.

I wanted to give a shout out to Millie (guest) who's review inspired me to finish this today. Thank you for your awesome review, I promise I'll try to upload on a pretty consistent schedule (I am aiming one chapter every two days).

Another shout out to .940436 who's simple review inspired the confrontation between Harry and Riddle (along with Riddle, Logan, and Draco). I was originally just going to have a simple fight scene with a big snake involved but it turned out sooooo much better cuz of thi cat, thanks man (or gal)

Comments, suggestions, rude remarks? Please tell and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading, ciao


	19. Already Dead

Severus swept through the hallways of Hogwarts, a scowl etched on his face. It was only three days till the end of school, one until the potion for the petrified victims was completed, and two of his students had gone missing. One Harry James Potter and merely an hour later Draco Abraxas Malfoy. He had learnt from Minerva that Logan Rasalas Potter had gone missing around the same time as Draco. It had been over five hours since anyone had last seen them and the entire castle had been combed along with the Forbidden Forest and any known passages. Several search groups had been sent out to Hogsmeade just in case they had run away rather than been taken into the Chamber. There was no sign of any of the teens and everyone was losing hope. An hour ago him and Minerva had contacted the parents, him contacting the Malfoys and her the Potter matriarch. Narcissa had been frozen in her grief and Lucius had hissed dark threats. When neither worked they had persisted that the search continue, personally led by him, one of the few they could trust in Hogwarts. Which leds to his current position, roaming the hallways, scanning for any sign of the lost children.

As he rounded a corner a small noise caught his attention, coming from a closed door. He pulled out his wand, eyes narrowed. The scuffling continued followed by a moment of silent. He edged his way cautiously towards the door. With a loud trill the door burst open, Fawkes glowing bright before streaking down the hallway. He barely spared the showy bird a glance, rather focusing his attention on the two that came stumbling out of the now open door.

Covered in blood, faces streaked with tears, Logan and Draco emerged, looking very much worse for the wear. From his position he could see Harry cradled in Logan's arms. Quickly stowing his wand away he hurried to the boys.

"What happened?" he demanded.

They froze before turning to look at him. Draco's face lite up with joy and rushed towards him. He was forced back a step as Draco's body rammed into him, face pressed into his chest. A small rebuke lay on the tip of his tongue about the way Draco should carry himself but lay silent as he felt the trembling of the boy against him. Draco had grabbed at the front of his robes, burrowing in the fabric, trying to hide. He wrapped his arms around the small boy, holding him close.

Draco loved being held by his godfather, though it rarely happened. Due to the flowy robes Severus wore to intimidate others it always made his embraces safe and warm, the fabric cocooning him from the terrors of the world. After everything that had just happened, the blood, the pain, the nearly dying, he didn't want to be anywhere else in the world than held by his godfather, knowing that he was safe.

Severus murmured words of comfort, trying to ease the blondes distress. He turned his gaze back to the two other children before him. When Draco's trembling had cease he moved towards them, keeping Draco tucked underneath his arm.

"What happened?" he demanded in a calm voice as he approached the teen.

Logan was covered in sweat and blood, his hair sticking to his face, looking weary but alive. He swayed gently, fighting to stay on his feet. While Harry weighted close to nothing he was exhausted and any added extra weight was agony on his aching muscles. As Snape approached him he considered walking towards the man but his trembling knees forwent the idea. Rather he stood and waited.

"Harry needs to go to the hospital wing first," Logan asserted. "He was hurt, badly." the boy in question had yet to wake, even after Riddle had been killed, and while he was breathing there were no other signs of life.

"Very well," Snape agreed. "I believe all of you need to go to the hospital wing. You're parents are already here. I shall inform them…"

As Snape spoke Logan's world began to flicker. He blinked several times, eyebrows drawing together in concentration. He tightened his hold on Harry, glad that something was still solid. Then the world went black.

Severus faded off as Logan pitched forward. He lunged forward, managing to catch the two teens before they hit the ground. Draco was at his heels, face scrunched in worry.

"What happened? What's wrong with them? Are they dead?" Draco asked, voice rising in fear.

Severus gave the young boy a calming glance as he ran a quick test on the two teens. "They're fine." he assessed. "Potter merely fainted from exhaustion. A few hours of rest and he'll be fine."

"What about Harry?" Draco whispered.

Severus sighed. "I don't know about him. Madame Pomfrey's going to have to run some test. I'm sure he'll be fine in no time. It seems as though all of you have gone through quite the ordeal." he soothed as he scooped up the younger Potter, levitating the other.

Draco nodded and fell silent as they made their way to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey hurried over as she saw them, forcing all three teens into beds and muttering under her breathe as she ran test over them. Severus watched over her, offering her help and fetching potions she called for. Within no time the children were healed or healing, Logan having been put into a healing sleep, Harry still asleep, and Draco having several nourishment potions forced into him. When Madame Pomfrey was done she walked over to where Severus was waiting.

"Draco seems to be completely healed though he is currently in shock. He was severely injured what seems like barely an hour ago. There were signs of magical healing taking place. His weight is also very worrying, it's far lower than it should be for a boy his age." Severus nodded, remembering Fawkes and making a mental note to talk to Draco about his eating habits. Madame Pomfrey continued. "Logan has several scrapes and cuts and is suffering from magical and physical exhaustion. He'll be just fine after a good rest and a hearty meal. Harry on the other hand…" her voice trailed off. Severus looked at her sharply.

"What's wrong with him?" he prompted.

Madame Pomfrey gave a small, worried sigh. "I don't know what's wrong with him. He's magic is nearly depleted, he's currently in some form of coma. I've healed all the physical injuries, though there's signs that he's been severely maltreated. I've tried everything I know to wake him but nothing as worked of yet. It seems as though we'll just have to wait for him to wake on his own."

Severus's lips set in a grim line and he folded his arms across his chest. "Do you have any theories about what's wrong with him?"

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "There's nothing I can detect without prying into the boy's mind. Every magical test I've run has shown nothing. Other than his low magic levels he's perfectly healthy."

"We'll just have to ask the other boys what happened once they are well enough." Snape decided. Madame Pomfrey nodded in agreement.

There was a sudden bang as the hospital doors were flung open. Lily Potter rushing into the room followed by the Malfoys, worry, fear, and hope etched onto all their faces. Madame Pomfrey rushed to them, not wanting a ruckus to occur and disturb her patients.

"Where is he?" Lily asked, a near shout. "Where's my baby? Where's Logan?" Madame Pomfrey smiled soothingly, keeping her voice low.

"He's fine Lily, he's currently sleeping. He's been through quite a lot these past few. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you when he wakes but he needs his rest right now." Madame Pomfrey informed the distraught mom. "Harry is here as well, he's currently in a coma but we're hoping he'll wake soon."

"Where is Logan?" Lily repeated. Madame Pomfrey wanted to scold the woman for her seeming lack of concern for Harry but held her tongue, directing the red head towards a chair set near Logan's bed.

Severus was dealing with the Malfoy's, assuring them of their sons health. Relief was visible in Narcissa's face while only showing in the loose muscles of Lucius's shoulders. After informing them of Draco's condition he led them to Draco's bed with instructions to be calm and quiet as their son was still in shock and dealing with what had happened. Narcissa had swept Draco into her arms, though the child didn't respond, and Lucius clapped a hand onto his shoulder. Draco ignored them both. Severus watched the boy and realized he was hiding something under his blanket, keeping a tight grasp on it though making it look like he was only grabbing at the blankets. Another thing he would have to question Draco about later.

He left the Malfoy family and went to check on Harry, who laid alone to the left of Logan, Lily sitting on the right of him, paying no attention to her other son.

A frown tugged at his lips as he stared at his once best friend. As children she had always been the sweet one, full of love and life. She would never hurt anything or anyone, preferring to talk about problems rather than fight. He had always been the cold one, dark and snappish but she acted as his opposite, warm and kind. She had taught him so many things about life and love, showing him that he needed others and that caring wasn't a weakness. When they were sorted into separate houses they remained friends but as the years passed and being a half-blood in the Slytherin house began to take it's toll they drifted apart. After he had pushed her away, called her mud-blood, their friendship was forever torn, even though they had made up several weeks later. His greatest regret upon joining the Death Eaters was leaving her behind and she was the reason why he came back to the light, begging and sniveling at Dumbledore's feet, so he could protect her and her family. Now, studying the red-haired woman he wondered what happened to the girl he once knew. Lily would have never abandoned a child of her, never would play favorites between the two, never ignored him as he lay still as death. No, this wasn't the girl he used to make paper cranes with and explored on lazy summer days, this wasn't the girl who taught him how to care and love for another, this wasn't the girl whom he had sacrificed everything for. He didn't know who this girl was.

He blinked rapidly to clear the small pinprick of tears, looking away from Lily, unable to face her right now. Instead he pulled up a chair near Harry and took a seat, studying the boy.

Harry was pale, the only colour to his face was the light purple eyelids and dusted pink lips. His face was gaunt and the light cast shadows over his cheekbones and from his eyelashes. He looked so thin and pale, so unlike a boy of only twelve. The perpetually messy black hair flared out across the pillow, framing the small face. Studying him like this, against the white sheets, it was hard to compare him to the James Potter Severus knew in school. The hair was similar but other than that the boy looked more like Lily, with nearly invisible freckles dancing over his nose and his features delicate.

He stood, knowing he needed to inform Minerva and Dumbledore of the students return, if they didn't already know. He was surprised they hadn't already descended on the hospital wing. Sometimes it seemed as though they two knew everything that happened as the events unfolded.

He departed from the room, leaving the boys in care of Madame Pomfrey and their families, never looking back and thus missing the pained green eyes that followed him.

Logan woke a few hours later as the first light of dawn was streaming through the window. There was no gradual emergence from sleep into the waking world. Rather he bolted up with a small cry, the dark eyes of Riddle's still taunting him and he curled over his legs, breathing heavily.

"Logan, honey, are you alright?"

He looked over to see his mum sitting besides him. A quick scan of the room let him know he was in the hospital wing, the place familiar after the amount of quidditch injuries he had sustained over the years. Another glance let him know Harry was in the bed next to him and his breaking evened out. Slowly he turned back to his mum and offered her a weak smile.

"Hey mum, I'm fine." he said. From the corner of his eye he could see Madame Pomfrey bustling over and was grateful as she began fussing over him, effectively cutting off the interrogation he could see on the tip of his mum's' tongue.

"How are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked. She waved her wand around him a few times, humming as she got the results back. He mumbled something about being fine and she took that with a nod. She was finished with a few more waves of her wand and stood back, beaming brightly.

"You're good to go," she said. "You're magic levels are back to normal, fever gone, and all rested. Now all you need is a hearty meal and you can leave."

Logan opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by his mum.

"That's it? He's fine? Do I need to take him to St. Mungo's?" his mum asked in rapid succession.

Madame Pomfrey gave a small laugh and welcoming smile. "Lily dear, that won't be necessary. Logan is fine, he just needs some rest and good meals for the next couple of days. He's practically good as new."

His mum sagged in her chair, a smile lighting up her face. "Thank Merlin…" she breathed.

Logan looked back at the medi-witch. "What about Harry? What's wrong with him? Is he alright?"

Madame Pomfrey's smile faltered and worry surged through him. "He's in a coma right now," she disclosed. "I don't know what it's been caused by. As far as we can see it's just due to magical depletion and he'll wake in his own in just a few days."

Logan bit his lip before speaking up. "In the chamber he started flickering. Like, going in and out of existence. I think Riddle was draining him of live somehow…"

Madame Pomfrey and Lily both paled and began speaking at once.

"Fading out of existence-"

"Riddle-"

"What happened-"

"...you alright?"

"...Draco-"

"...the chamber-"

The clamboring noise caused a slumbering heachache to reawaken and he winced. Madame Pomfrey noticed this and quickly hushed Lily, claiming the boy needed more rest, and tucked him back in. He didn't protest as the blankets were wrapped around him and his mum grabbed his hand. Madame Pomfrey hurried off to run more test on Harry, muttering something about Dumbledore. Logan turned to look at his brother, hating how still he was.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" he asked hollowly.

Lily followed her son's gaze and nodded. "He's a strong boy, I'm sure he'll be just fine."

The two lapsed in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. With a jolt he remembered what Riddle had said about the headmaster killing Harry and looked around for Professor Snape. He didn't know if Riddle had been speaking the truth or why the headmaster would want to kill Harry but he wanted to inform the man just in case. Sadly the man was nowhere in sight. He slumped back on his bed and let his eyes flutter close.

Harry didn't wake for another two days, eyes only opening dawn of the final day of school. Due to the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets and the slaying of the beast the students were allowed to stay till the end of the term, finals having been cancelled. The petrified victims were restored to their former health. Luna, upon finding Harry in the hospital, had taken to sitting by him and reading random books and bits of poetry she had found to him. Between her, Draco, and Logan there was always someone by his bedside in case he woke up. Lily had gone home. She wanted Logan to return with her but he refused to leave without Harry.

Rumors of what happened in the chamber flew throughout the castle, involving everything from scantily clad vampires seducing students to their death to a colony of merpeople beneath the school. Of course none of the rumors even came close to the truth. Only three students and a handful of professors knew the truth.

The day after the incident in the chamber Draco and Logan had been ushered into the headmaster's office. Together they retold the story, leaving out only a few key details. Logan noticed that Draco didn't mention taking the diary, making it sound as though it was still in the chamber, and Logan left out the part where Riddle accused Dumbledore of killing Harry. The teacher present had interrogated the boy's for over two hours until they were finally released. From there they went to Professor Snape's off, this time leaving out none of the details, especially in concern to Harry. Snape had merely listened without interrupting them, a blessed reprieve from the other teachers who interrupted every other sentence. When they were done Draco pulled the torn diary from his bag and laid it on the table.

Severus inspected the book, casting several spells, careful not to touch it in case it was cursed. Upon finishing his test he steepled his fingers in thought, a habit he had picked up from Albus.

"What is it?" Draco asked, recognizing the hard glint in his godfathers eyes.

Severus raised his head to eye the teens warily. They were still young, barely not even having hit puberty, but their eyes were aged, their time in the chamber having opened their eyes to some of the horrors of the world. Besides, Logan was the boy who lived and he would be privy to this information sooner or later.

"As both of you know the dark lord is not yet dead," he started, watching closely for the boys reaction. A small shudder from Draco and a hardened eye from Logan was all he recieved so he continued. "Dumbledore guessed as much the night he came after you," he gestured to Logan. "We suspect that the dark lord has torn his soul in pieces and hidden them in different items as sort of a safe keeping if anything ever happened to him."

Draco gasped slightly, a single word falling from his lips. "Horcrux…"

"Horcruxes," Snape corrected. "It is thought he has made several, how many is unknown. I believe this diary was one of them." both boys eyed the diary warily. "It's harmless now. Basilisk venom is one of the few things able to destroy a horcrux." he shot a glare at Draco who had already received a sound berating from his parents for his dangerous stunt in the chamber.

"So there are others," Logan asked urgently. "He can still rise again?"

Snape nodded solemnly. Logan cursed loudly but he couldn't find it in him to correct the boy.

"So Voldemort is going to rise again unless we do something about this horcruxes and no one thought to tell me?" Logan outraged. "Is there even anyone looking for them?"

Severus bowed his head. "Not at the moment, the headmaster called off all search efforts several years ago after the death of several wizards and witches."

Logan cursed once more and fumed, muttering something about Dumbledore that Snape chose to ignore. Draco looked shell shocked, eyes focused on his hands.

"Draco," he implored slightly, drawing the pale grey eyes up to his. "Are you alright?"

Draco, noticing his poor composure, straightened up and steeled his eyes. "I am fine." he asserted then gestured to the diary. "I recognize that book from my father's library. He's had it for as long as I could remember. Last summer, during a fight with Arthur Weasley, I noticed him slip it into the youngest ones cauldron. I don't know how Harry came in possession of it though."

Severus's frown deepened. "I was hoping that wasn't the case."

"I thought your father was under imperius at the time. He was acquitted of all crimes in the war." Logan blurted out, cutting off Severus's next words.

"My father has very good connections in the ministry. It seems as though he used some of them after the war." Draco merely said, looking far too old to be only twelve.

Severus couldn't help but mourn the loss of the boy's childhood. They were no longer children after this, though not quite adults. Forced to grow up too quick for their own good. It was something he had seen plenty of during the first war and still hated to see.

They discussed the horcruxes and the elder Malfoy's involvement a bit longer until he released the boys to dinner. Draco had stayed after, requesting to stay with him for part of the summer break and he had agreed, knowing Draco would have much to think about over the summer.

It was with a heavy heart that Severus realized there was to be a second war and he had just witnessed some of the first affected.

It was still dark when Harry opened his eyes. His body ached and his thoughts were muddled, not that it was different from most of the time. Flashes of the events from the chamber came to him in pieces and he groaned, eyes squeezing shut in denial. He didn't want to remember those dark eyes, sinful smile, blood covered hands. How come he could forget everything else but not this?

A shifting to his left drew his attention to his brother who was in a chair besides him, curled up and fast asleep, face smushed against the side. He giggled slightly at the sight, letting it distract him from his inner turmoil.

The small sound brought Logan back into consciousness. Blinking owlishly he noticed a pair of bright green eyes looking back at him. A grin erupted over his face and he lept up to drag his brother into his arms.

"Harry! You're awake! You're awake!" he exclaimed. Harry, after overcoming his shock, slowly hugged his brother back.

"Yeah," he mumbled against Logan's shirt. A small smile touched his lips and he let himself be held, finding comfort.

Madame Pomfrey barged out of her office/room. "What's all this ruckus?" She demanded. "There's patient's trying to…" she trailed off as she saw Harry. She hurried over and before long she had run several test, all coming back stating Harry was in perfect health, and had a giant meal set before the boy. Harry looked overwhelmed at the food in front of him but Logan had merely laughed and promised to help him eat it if he couldn't do it on his own.

News of Harry's wakening travelled throughout the castle and before long Luna, Neville, and Draco were sitting around him, catering to his every whim. Madame Pomfrey thought about enforcing the only two people at a time rule but decided to bend it, just this once. Besides, they were being quiet and mindful of the small boy.

Throughout the day several others came to visit Harry, Severus, Hermione, Fred, and George being among them. At some point Dumbledore had come to collect his version of the story. He told all he could remember, which wasn't much, and the headmaster had left with a thank you.

By the end of the day Madame Pomfrey had given Harry a clean bill of health and deemed him fine to go home with the rest of the students, unable to find any reason to keep him. Draco had helped him pack all his bags, seeing as he only had a few hours to do so. He was delighted to find Toyotama-hime was no longer hiding and joined in the fun.

On the train home Draco told him of what had happened in the chamber, keeping the origins of the diary to himself for the time being. Harry was horrified upon finding out Draco had nearly died and had to be consoled. By the time they were pulling into the station Harry had fallen asleep on Draco's shoulder. He chuckled slightly and shook the other boy, trying to wake him. Harry didn't even stir at the motion. Draco shook him harder, starting to become worried as his friend didn't even show any signs of waking up. He was just about to grab one the adults on the train and demand they take Harry back to Hogwarts when Harry blearily opened his eyes.

"Hey Draco, what's wrong?" he asked, sensing his friends worry. Draco opened his mouth to scold his friend for scaring him but was cut short as people began piling off the train.

"Come on," Draco said instead, grabbing his stuff. Harry followed in suit and the hurried off the train.

Draco's parents were waiting for him. He spared a quick hug for Harry before hurrying towards them, knowing they would be crossed at the sign of affection but knowing he would get to leave with Severus within a week.

Harry walked over to where Lily and Logan was waiting. Lily greeted Logan with a hug and gave Harry a warm smile. She had driven there and drove Logan home first, saying something about wanting to take Harry to the hospital to make sure everything was okay. Logan insisted on coming but Lily put her foot down, ordering him to stay home. Logan subsisted, glaring darkly as he went to put his school stuff away.

As they pulled away from Lily's home Harry addressed her from the backseat. "You aren't taking me to the hospital, are you?"

Lily shook her head, unable to meet those green eyes that looked so much like her own. "I'm sorry Harry, I need to take you back to Petunia's. There's blood protections on the house and it's the safest place for you but you have to go there at least some of the year…" she trailed off as she realized Harry was no longer listening. The boy's eyes had dulled and he leaned his head against the window, already looking half dead. Unable to look at her son anymore she looked to the road and drove.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Wooo, another chapter in less than 24 hours. Sweet, I have no life. Next chapter is going to encase the summer and after that third year begins, when stuff deviates drastically from canon and gets hella fun.

Suggestions, critiques, rude comments? Please share


	20. Let's Play Pretend

Warning: There is child molestation is this chapter. Please be cautious when reading this, it's not pretty or nice.

A loud crash resounded throughout the house, followed by an even louder yell of "NEVILLE!"

"Sorry," Neville hurried called back rushing in his haste to pick up the shards of glass that littered the floor. In his haste to clean the mess he tripped, hands outstretched to catch him. Glass embedded themselves into his skin as he made contact with the floor and he winced. The wounds littered his palms but were small, only pinpricks of blood weeping from the cuts. As he was pulling the glass from his hands and trying to collect the rest of the shards his grandmother strode into the hallway. At the sight of him on the floor, hands bloodied, she sighed.

"Neville, how many times have I told you to be careful." she scolded. "You know you're clumsy, you need to take more caution. That vase was a christmas gift from Alice's parents the year you were born."

Neville bowed his head, nodding. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." he mumbled.

"I know you didn't," his grandmother said as she vanished the glass with a wave of her wand. "You never do." Disappointment was laced in the weary words, making them hurt that much more. It was painful knowing that his grandmother expected this sort of thing from him, as though he could do nothing right. His hands clenched on his thighs, tears pricking his eyes.

"Have you finished your homework?" his grandmother asked. It was only the second week of vacation yet she expected all of his work to be done. Of course he had finished it but she had dismissed it as subpar, ordering him to redo it.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the ground, not wanting to see the disappointment in his grandmother's eyes. There was a heavy sigh.

"Your father always had his homework done days after getting out of school," his grandmother reminisced. "His herbology wasn't the best but his essays in potions, charms, and transfigurations were always outstanding. He rarely ever needed helped in those subjects. He was such a smart child." While she didn't say anything he could hear the judgement in her voice, comparing him to his father.

He was used to it by now, having been compared to the memories of his parent's his entire life. His grandmother spoke of them so often it was almost as if they were still here, somewhere in the house, whole and sane, instead of confined to a bed in St. Mungo's, broken and insane. Everything he knew of his parents before they had been tortured into insanity was what his grandmother had told him. She spoke fondly of both of them, loving Alice like she was her own daughter. He was forever trying to live up to the reputation of his parents but always fell short. Until his eighth birthday his family didn't even know if he was a wizard and some still thought him a squib due to his poor performance in school and his weak spell work.

"Go work on your schoolwork," his grandmother said, ignorant of his inner turmoil. "I'll come check it in a couple of hours."

"Yes ma'am," Neville replied, clambering to his feet. As he hurried to the stairs and to his room he tripped and went sprawling, scraping his knee. His grandmother didn't remark, rather sighing and heading back to her study. He laid there for a moment, cursing himself for his own clumsiness, before picking himself up. As careful as he could he made his way to his room and disappeared within. He wanted nothing more than to curl up on his bed and sleep, tired of everything, of being able to do nothing right, but knew his grandmother would be crossed if he did so. With a heavy heart he grabbed his school books and began, once more, on his transfiguration essay.

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"Neville!" his grandmother called several days later. Neville, who was currently tending to the miniature garden in his room, set down his water can and careful hurried down the stairs, not wanting to trip again. His grandmother was waiting at the bottom, a pleased smile on her face.

"I've gotten you a tutor," she said.

Neville froze, wondering is he had heard her right. "What?" he blurted out.

His grandmother's lips thinned slightly but the smile staying intact. "A tutor. She's going to come on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday of each week to tutor you in transfigurations, potions, charms, as well as in the Longbottom history and politics." she clarified.

Neville clutched at his fingers nervously, looking at his grandmother's expecting smile. He knew she wanted him to be grateful for the tutor and was waiting for thanks but he didn't want to tutor. A tutor was only going to make his nervousness worse and prove to him how useless he really was.

As his grandmother's smile grew tight he muttered a quick "Thank you," hoping to pacify her. As usual disappointment flooded her eyes and he had to look away, hating to know he was the cause of that disappointment.

"She'll be here in an hour. Get cleaned up and make sure your room is presentable." His grandmother said in dismissal. He nodded and returned to his room, tidying his papers and quills before returning to his garden.

An hour passed and he was summoned once more by his grandmother. She was waiting for him in the reception room. At her side stood a slim woman around the age of thirty with dark hair that cascaded down her back in loose curls and piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in slacks and blouse, giving her an air of professionalism that was enforced by the thin glasses that was perched on the end of her nose. Overall she looked like a modern day Lady Morgana, a powerful enchantress of Arthurian legend who often starred as the first crush of many young boys and some girls.

Neville hesitated in the doorway, unsure of how to proceed. His grandmother watched him with a hawk like gaze and he took a deep breath before stepping into the room.

"G-good day miss," he greeted the woman, giving a small bow. "My name is N-neville Longbottom. N-nice to m-meet you." From the corner of his eye he could see his grandmother shaking her head slightly in dismay at his stutter and his heart sank.

The woman took it all in stride, giving a tilt of the head back, a gesture common when an elder addressed a youngling. "Greetings Neville. My name is Caroline Taylor. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

Neville straightened up and nodded, eyes darting to his grandmother for direction. As though sensing his distress she stepped in.

"Neville is nearly done with his school work," his grandmother said to Miss. Taylor. "He just needs someone to read through them and make sure they are done correctly. He needs tutoring in all his subjects, particularly potions. He has all the supplies necessary for the practical side of potions as well. He also needs lessons in politics, formalities, and the history of the Longbottoms."

Miss Taylor gave a nod. "Is there anything else I need to know before we begin?"

His grandmother pursed her lips together in thought for a moment before responding. "I believe that is everything. Now, Neville is a bit slow on the uptake but he is smart and can remember it once he actually learns the materials." his grandmother sent him a quick glance and he shrank and the small reproach. "All of his learning material, books and the such, are up in his room. There's a potions lab when those lessons become necessary, Neville will show you where it is come the time. Other than that I believe that is all."

Miss Taylor smiled brilliantly, giving a nod of thanks. "Thank you Madame Longbottom. I'm sure tutoring Neville will be a treat."

His grandmother only gave a small laugh. "If you say so." she turned to Neville. "Show Miss Taylor to your room. She'll be here until one."

Neville nodded and gestured for Miss Taylor to follow him, too nervous to speak. They made their way to his his room. Miss Taylor exclaimed at his garden, praising him highly for it and a bright red blush covered his face as he stammered out a thanks. As they began on his schoolwork he was self conscious and mumbled as he tried to explain where he was and what he didn't understand. Miss Taylor listened carefully, jotting down a quick note every now and then. They started on his charms work and he began to relax as she explained it, elaborating on what he didn't understand and answering all of his questions. Not once did she look at him with disappointment or talk to him like he was dumb. She was kind and patient, making small jokes every now and again that kept a smile small on his face. By the time they were finished Neville felt better versed in charms than he ever had before and a huge smile was plastered on his face. Miss Taylor even thanked him for how good of a listener he was, briefly complaining about some of her other students in a conspiratorial whisper and gave him a wink. He blushed and stammered something about her just being a good teacher to which she had laughed warmly and ruffled his hair.

Lady Longbottom was pleased with Miss Taylor and how much work they had managed to do and invited the young woman to stay for lunch. Miss Taylor had accepted, much to Neville's joy. For once Neville didn't break a single dish. Finally around two Miss Taylor made her leave, promising to see Neville in two days time.

His grandmother praised him for his hard work and pride bloomed in his chest. That night, for the first time in years, he fell asleep with a smile on his face, his heart light.

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Miss Taylor came back as promised. Today they were working on transfigurations. She was full of warm smiles and soft touches, often causing Neville to blush at the attention. Lady Longbottom was pleased at how effective Miss Taylor was and how much improvement she had seen in just a single session and left them alone after extending an invitation for Miss Taylor to stay for lunch again, one the other woman readily accepted.

They were going over the properties of matter and how they affect transfiguration when Neville began to notice that she would leave her hand on his shoulder for longer than necessary. He fidgeted slightly but paid no heed to it, telling himself he was being silly. Soon she had him working on his essay, critiquing him every so often. Her hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, was slowly sliding over his shoulder and down his side. Goosebumps rose on his arms and he trembled slightly as he tried to ignore it. The hand rubbing his side gently made him unfocused and he spelt several words wrong. She leaned in closer, their cheeks nearly touching as she corrected him. Dread began to swirl in his stomach, making his hands clammy. She turned to face him, nose inches from his. From here he could see the white flecks in her eyes and the smile lines around her eyes.

"You seem distracted," she murmured, voice low, nearly seductive. "Perhaps we should take a little study break."

He became increasingly away of the arm around his back and its position on his hip. Adrenaline raced through his body, making every nerve hyper aware but he couldn't move. Slowly, focusing on the movement, he nodded, hoping that was the right answer, hoping she would let him go. Instead she leaned closer, her red lips turned upwards into a smile.

"Any ideas on what we should do?" she purred, far too close for his comfort. He began shaking in fear as both of her hands settled on his hips and slowly began to move down. Frantically he shook his head, trying to formulate words, trying to tell her to stop. She simply smirked and pulled away quickly, grabbing her wand and casting a few spells at the door.

"There, no one can hear us now," she turned back to him and her hands slide to the waist of his pants, fingers deftly unbuttoning and pulling them open.

He shook violently now, furiously trying to speak but forgetting how. He didn't know what to do, didn't quite know what was happening. Tears of stress and fear filled his eyes and slowly slide down his cheeks.

Taking one hand away from his crotch she cupped his face gently. "Don't worry dear," she murmured. "This won't hurt, it'll feel amazing."

As she spoke she began to cup him, pressing her hand against him. He moaned in fear and pleasure as his body reacted against his will. He wanted it to stop, he didn't want this. He tried to tell her, tried to pull away, but it was like his body wasn't his. All he could do was sob louder as she pulled down his trousers and pants and began to stroke him.

He had heard all about masturbation and sex from the boys in his dorm but he had never done anything like that yet, feeling himself too young. Even though he was practically thirteen he had only had one wet dreams that had been vague and featureless. He never really looked at girls and their bodies as many other of the boys did but just thought he was a late bloomer. Now, being touched and caressed by someone else, the pleasure that coursed through his body was nearly painful.

He shook his head distantly. He didn't want this, he didn't want this! Everything in him was rebelling against it but it felt so good and it scared him.

Finally finding his voice he protested, "Stop…" he whimpered. "Please?" his voice broke.

"You don't really want me to stop, do you?" she moan softly into his ear.

Whatever response he would have given was lost as she ducked her head and took him in her mouth, making his world explode in pleasure. Looking down she saw that she had slipped a hand down her skirt and was teasing herself as she played with him. The sight made him sick and he closed his eyes tightly, as though it could make this nightmare go away.

Since he was young and inexperienced he came mercilessly quick. She swallowed everything then gave him a sweet smile. He gagged and bit his cheek, feeling dirty and used. After he pulled up his trouser she cast a few freshening spells and cancelled the ones on the door. They returned to the essay as though nothing had happened.

She stayed for lunch, sitting besides him. He wished she would hurry and leave so he could talk to his grandmother, tell her what had happened, and she would make everything better. For the time being though it seemed as though Miss Taylor and his grandmother were content to sit and fidgeted uncomfortably, his skin prickling, unable to stand being this to the woman.

Miss Taylor didn't leave for another hour. As soon as she was gone he hurried to his grandmother's side.

"I like her," his grandmother said as she watched the other woman go. She turned to Neville. "She's doing you a lot of good, helping you a lot. You've only met with her twice and already you've improved so much. Your parent's would be proud of you."

Neville faltered. His grandmother had never said that before. She was usually rebuking him for not doing better, for being too clumsy, for messing up all the time. He wanted to tell her what had happened, he really did, but he couldn't find the words. He knew she would be disappointed again. He wanted her to be proud of him, wanted his parent's to be proud of him. Maybe if he just tried harder and told Miss Taylor that he didn't want to next time she'll stop doing it and he could continue to make his parent's proud.

"Is there something you wanted?" his grandmother asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

He shook his head. "No ma'am." he muttered, unable to speak any louder. His grandmother dismissed him and he scurried to his room, spending the rest of the day curled up on his bed, staring at the wall.

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The next time Miss Taylor came he told her he didn't want her to touch him anymore. She agreed but during the next 'study break' she played with him as before, this time kissing him as well. He had endured it, telling himself that as soon as he was smart enough to no longer need a tutor then his parent's and gran would be proud of him and he would no longer need Miss Taylor. He threw himself into his studies. His grandmother approved of this new behavior and didn't question when he began skipping meals to study and spent less time with her.

He dreaded Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, knowing that Miss Taylor was coming and knowing what would ensue. Once they started the practical potion section he found something that made his life so much easier, a calming draught. Within a week he knew how to brew it perfectly and had even modified it to be stronger than usual. The potion took the edge off of the world, often sending him into a happy daze. It was a much needed release from the horrors of his world. And when the nightmares began he learnt how to brew dreamless sleep and fell into the welcoming blackness it promised. If his gran ever noticed anything odd or strange about his behavior she didn't confront him on it. So the rest of his summer was passed in a happy daze of potions punctuated by study sessions and bleak moments as reality reasserted its place. And even though he knew he should be worried about how dependent he grew on the potions he couldn't bring himself to care for when he was on the potion he could pretend everything was okay.

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Lily slumped in her chair, exhausted. She didn't know what to do.

After she had taken Harry back to Petunia's Logan had raged, yelled, and at one point had tried to curse her. She had asserted her dominance as his mother and sent him to his room until he apologized. He had remained there for three days, refusing to eat or drink. Finally she had told him he could come out and since then he had treated her as a stranger. He was polite, if cooly so, and never said a bad word to her. His tone was always neutral and manner impeccable, but his eyes burned with hurt and betrayal. She had tried everything to make it up to her son, offering him sweets, pets, and trips to France, Greece, even Romania (somewhere she was very much against due to the high dragon population). She begged, pleaded, commanded, and yelled at him but he was having none of it. He would listened to her, never being rude enough to leave as she was talking, and when she was done he would merely tilt his head and walk away. For the past month he had scarcely said more than ten words to her and it was starting to take a strain on her. She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't do anything. She felt as though she had left her oldest son down.

Now she was in a dark living room, listening to Logan rummage around in the kitchen (since he refused to eat with her now) trying not to cry. She leaned her head against the back of the chair, wisps of hair escaping from her lazily bun and sticking to her face. She thought about cleaning to distract herself but there was nothing to clean. Logan picked up everything that was his, even doing his dishes. If it wasn't for the pictures on the walls and mantelpiece no one would be able to tell he lived here.

The noise from the kitchen ceased and footsteps slowly approached the living room. She bolted up, as if electrocuted as Logan stepped into the room. Logan hadn't entered a room she had been in all summer, in fact he hadn't initiated any contact with her all summer. She was always the one who had tried speaking to him first.

She sat nimrod as Logan slowly made his way to her, watching him closely, scared that she would scare him off if she spoke now. Logan paused, looking hesitant before tossing his shoulders back, a look of determination on his face, the look of a leader. A small spike of pride resounded throughout her as she looked at her son.

She waited for Logan to speak, the silence dragging on, filled with anticipation, hoping he was coming to apologize or at least talk with her. Logan finally spoke, the first he had directed at her in a week. "When are we going to get Harry?"

She deflated, sagging back in her chair. She wondered if she should even speak, knowing he would hate her answer. With a sigh she responded. "We aren't."

"What?!" Logan nearly shouted, eyes flaring.

She continued, voice flat. "The headmaster is picking him up at the end of the summer to bring him to the express. You'll see him then."

Logan seethed. "Why aren't we getting him now? We've always gotten him around now. He's spent enough time with your sister to renew the blood spells so why can't he come here?" he demanded angrily.

"Because the headmaster doesn't want us to," Lily replied, adding silently that she didn't want to either.

Logan snarled, glaring at her. "I don't give a damn what the headmaster wants. Harry's my brother and I'm not letting him stay with that excuse of a family any longer. He's coming here!"

Lily shook her head, no fight in her voice. "No he's not. He's staying just where he is."

"If you won't get him I'll go get him myself." Logan threatened, eyes dark.

Lily rose from her seat, the first embers of fight entering her. "No you won't young man. First of all you don't even know how to get there and even if you did you are not traversing England alone."

"He's my brother," Logan replied tersely, shoulders set. "I'm not going to let him stay with those bastards."

"Those bastards are your family," Lily replied.

Logan barked out a laugh. "Are you calling the sister you've ignored for years your family? The one who thought you were dead? The one who will still think you're dead if you hadn't stopped by grab the son you had left on her bloody doorstep!?"

"It's complicated." Lily snapped. Logan wouldn't understand what it was like having to live with Petunia, to have your sister call you a freak. As a child she had been forced to endure her sisters harsh words and criticisms every summer. It was horrible. If it wasn't for Severus, her only friend at the time, she didn't know what she would have done

"You are such a fucking hypocrite," Logan said, staring defiantly into her eyes.

Blood rushed to Lily's face and she clenched her hands. "Don't you dare take that tone with me boy. I am still your mother and you will show me respect. I will take you over my knee if I see reason to." she threatened.

Logan laughed bleakly, "You lost your right to call yourself a mother the day you abandoned her own son."

Without another word he spun and strode from the room. As Lily watched his retreating back she realized she had only lost the fight but her son as well.

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"Something needs to be done about Harry," Lily said quietly as she sat across from Albus. She stared down at her hands, unable to meet his eyes, scared of what she might see in those twinkling depths.

Albus, pondering this new development, raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Lily shrugged helplessly. "I dunno," she finally said. "But this can't continue the way they're going."

Sensing that Lily's distress was caused by something else Albus raised up the question of Logan. "Does this have something to do with Logan?"

Lily nodded. "We had a row, about Harry. He wants Harry to come live with us, or at least take him from the Dursley's for the rest of the summer."  
Albus nodded slowly. "You know why that's unadvisable." he said, referring to the conversation they had at the end of the school year concerning Harry. Dumbledore had decided it was best if Harry stayed at the Dursley's for the summer to keep the boy from being too much of a negative influence on his brother. At the time Lily had agreed, planning on giving Logan lessons over the summer in politics and war history, possibly some dueling, but because of the feud between the two she had been unable to do any of that, leaving the boy up to his own devices. Dumbledore had also stated that since the potion was reacting how it should be they were going to take Harry off of it for the summer and see if it began working correctly at the beginning of the school year. He was to grab Harry a week before school started to make sure the potion did what they wanted to. And of course Logan could not be allowed around Harry when he wasn't on the potion, that was a point both him and Lily had agreed on.

"Yes," Lily heaved, waving her hands in turmoil. "But at this point is it really worth it. I mean, everything we've done, is it for the best?"

Dumbledore stared at her, waiting until he had caught her eye before speaking. "Are you really questioning my methods? Everything I have done has been to protect you. What do you think would happen if people found out the truth about Harry?"

Lily nodded dejectedly. "I know, I know." her voice rose in agitation. "But isn't there something else that can be done. I know the potion is necessary but the boy barely seems alive and Logan is worried and people are starting to get suspicious and everything is so confusing."

"It is your insistence that we put the child with your sister that the potion is necessary." Dumbledore reminded her kindly. Lily winced, hiding her face behind her hair.

"I didn't know," she protested softly. "She was a bit cruel as a child but I never thought she would hurt a child that much.. and Vernon…" she trailed off.

Truth be told she hadn't really thought about how her sister would treat Harry, she had just wanted the boy as far away from her as possible. She cared about his well-being, in the distant anyone would care about a child's well-being, but otherwise didn't really care what happened to the child. There was still the threat of death eaters to think about though. So after careful thought she had given the child to her sister, asking Dumbledore to place blood wards around the place. She had left him and had barely given him another thought except in her darkest moments. She dedicated herself to Logan. At first Logan had asked insistently about his brother, wondering where Harry had gone. As time passed he asked less and less until Harry was just a distant memory. It had come as a surprise when Harry's letter of acceptance into Hogwarts had reached her. Dumbledore had insisted she be the one to gather Harry and reintroduce him into the magical world. Neither of them had been prepared to find out what had happened to the boy they had forgotten and with Logan eagerly asking about his brother, telling all of his friends about him, they couldn't just forget him as they once had. Dumbledore contacted some old friends and managed to get Harry his potion, leaving them in their current predicament.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Lily asked as the silence dragged on. "Anything?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I wish there was my child but we are doing all we can for him. The potion is the best thing we can do for Harry. Not only does it protect us it protects him from himself. What do you think would happen to him if he remembered all that has happened to him?"

Lily shuddered as she remembered the tales Petunia had told her. "You're right." she mumbled, looking away bashfully. She suddenly looked back to the headmaster. "He's safe this year right, someone is watching over him, making sure nothing happens?"

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "He's under surveillance all hours of the day, making sure nothing happens to him. He doesn't know but he's being well protected."

Lily nodded, some of the guilt easing though not much. "Thank you Albus,"

"Anytime my child," Albus tilted his head slightly, giving her a grandfatherly smile, his eyes twinkling. With that Lily took her leave.

Logan was still furious at her, his anger having turned into something cold and terrifying, so he was nowhere to be found. She played with the idea of calling out to him, just to see if he would answer and come bounding down the stairs as he so often did. She would mock scold him and he would just laugh and give her a hug, asking her how her journey was. Rather she stayed silent and made her way to the kitchen, pretending that if she did call out to him he would come running up to her with a hug and everything would return back to normal.

*******&&&&&&&&&&&&&&^^^^^^^^^^Chapter End

A/N: So, someone was asking if Harry is older. NO, Harry is two years younger than Logan. When Harry is a first year Logan is a third year, so on and so forth.

Hope you like the chapter! Please review, tell me what you like, what you don't like. I need some critique goddammit, I'm being allowed to write anything I want. Also, I wanna know what you want to see in the future, ie. scenarios, certain roles played, certain people you want involved, pairings, enemies/frenemies, ect, ect. Thanks for reading

Ciao


	21. Midnight Talks

**BLACK STILL AT LARGE**

" _That is_ _Sirius Black_ _, that is._ " —Stan Shunpike

 _Sirius Black_ _, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in_ _Azkaban_ _fortress, is still eluding capture, the_ _Ministry of Magic_ _confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the_ _Minister for Magic_ _,_ _Cornelius Fudge_ _, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm." Fudge has been criticised by some members of the_ _International Confederation of Wizards_ _for informing the_ _Muggle Prime Minister_ _of the crisis. "Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him,_ _magic_ _or_ _Muggle_ _. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it - who'd believe him if he did?" While_ _Muggles_ _have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal_ _wand_ _that_ _Muggles_ _use to kill each other), the_ _magical_ _community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single_ _curse_ _._

It had been over a month since the former death eater had escaped yet the mere mention of his name still infused the wizarding public with fear. Even muggles were afraid as he was shown on the news daily, though under the guise of a murderer who had escaped a high security prison. Wizarding parents couldn't wait for the school year to start to get their children back into the safety of Hogwarts and many had decided to have their children stay for Christmas break if Sirius wasn't caught by then.

The escape of Sirius Black was a grim reminder of the war that had happened just over a decade ago, one that many tried so hard to forget. Those who had fought in the war were the most wary, remembering how Sirius had once fought on the side of the light and had later turned dark. He was a powerful wizard and ruthless in battle. To know he was on the loose was not a reassuring thought. Warding companies made thousands overnight as their services were requested all over Britain.

Logan had been warned all about Sirius from Lily. She had tried to lay down certain rules for him to obey at school but he had ignored her, much to her frustration. He had yet to forgive her and he refused to do so until she made it up to Harry.

Harry had been at the Dursley's for the majority of the summer, only being taken from them for the final week by Albus. Logan was upset that he wouldn't get to see Harry on the train and had to wait till he got to Hogwarts to do so.

Upon reaching platform 9 ¾ he left without saying goodbye to Lily, even as she called after him promising to write. He quickly located the twins and together they went in search of an empty carriage. All of them seemed to be taken and he was growing frustrated as he pulled yet another door open. This time there was a single man instead, fast asleep, dressed in shabby robes with a battered suitcase at his feet.

"Moony!" Logan exclaimed, the man fitting the brief memories he could recall from childhood.

Moony was his 'uncle' and was related by all but blood. He could remember the man playing with him and Harry when they were children. The man was always full of smiles and warm laughs. As children it seemed as though he was over all the time, bringing small gifts and planning small pranks with the children to play on their parents. At one point, a few months before his third birthday, he had even threatened to run away and taken to calling Moony 'daddy' for he was sure the man would become his new dad, something that James had found hilarious at the time. After Voldemort had attacked him and his parents Remus had been sent out of the country to do something for Dumbledore. He wasn't quite too sure what he had been sent to do but hadn't thought about it much as a child. Every so often Moony would write to him, sending exotic birds to carry the letters, but the man was never in one place long enough for him to write back.

The man sitting in the express wasn't the same from his memories. It was obvious he had aged, a few grey streaks through his soft brown hair. There was also deep circles under his eyes and he looked skinnier than he remembered, a lot tanner as well.

The man woke at the cry and looked over with soft amber eyes. He was on his feet in a flash, a smile dawning on his face. "Logan!"

Caught up in the warm, happy memories of what he could remember of the man Logan threw himself at him, only to be caught and the hug returned. He suddenly pulled away, looking up at the man.

"Where have you been? I haven't heard from you in forever!" he said, a small amount of irritation creeping into his tone. The last postcard he had gotten from him was well over a year ago.

Remus laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his hand. "How about we put your trunk away and I'll tell you all about it." he said. As Logan moved to put his trunk overhead Remus caught sight of the twins. "Weasley's I presume?"

"Yup!" Fred said smugly, pretending to pull at imaginary lapels on his shirt.

"That would be us," George said, nose in the air snootily.

They shot a glance at each other before continuing simultaneously. "The famous Weasley twins Feorge and Gred!"

Logan groaned at the names, a reminding of a bad joke they had once made about their mum's sweater and had never let be forgotten. Now, whenever they introduced themselves to new people it was as "Feorge and Gred". Many people had been confused by the two and their mum always had a lot to explain whenever she took him out in public.

Remus took this in stride, giving a slight, if not mocking, bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you Feorge and Gred of the Weasley clan, care to join us?"

The twins accepted the offer graciously and once everyone was all seated, the twins on one side, Logan and Remus on the other, Logan turned eagerly to question his uncle only to be interrupted by the twins.

"So, you are Moony?" George said in a conspiratorial tone, leaning in close.

"The Moony?" Fred asked as he leaned in as well.

"Of the Marauders?"  
"Along with Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail?"

Remus blinked owlishly. "Whoa, whoa, where'd you learn all of that?"

The twins smirked, "We have our ways." they replied.

"They're aspiring to be as great as the Marauders were," Logan said in explanation. "They want their legacy to outlive yours."

Remus laughed. "Not doing anything illegal I hope,"

The twins both adopted hurt faces and voices of pure innocence.

"Of course not," said a hurt George.

"To accuse us of such a thing," murmured a shellshocked Fred.

"We would never," they lamented together.

Remus snicked at the act, trying to disguise it as a cough. "Of course, I apologize profusely."

Logan, growing impatient of waiting, cut off whatever they twins were about to say next, grabbing Moony's attention for himself. "Where have you been? Why haven't you visited? I've missed you."

Moony's smile softened and his eyes were tinged with regret as he looked to Logan. "I'm sorry pup, I didn't think I would be away for so long. I tried to write but…" he trailed off, looking down with a shrug. "I forgot,"

Logan tried not to show how much that hurt and rather went on with his questioning. "What are you doing here?"

Remus looked up, surprised. "Oh, I'm you're new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." he said. "Dumbledore asked me to take a break from my travels and come teach."

"Really?" Logan asked, eyes wide with excitement, forgetting his previous hurt. "So I get to see you all year?"

"Yup," Remus smiled. "But don't think just because you're my pup I'm going to go easy on you."

Logan shook his head, sandy hair falling in his face, as he smiled widely. "Of course not!"

Remus ruffled his hair. "Where's Harry?" he asked, looking around as if suspecting to see the boy. "What house did he get sorted in?"

Logan fell silent as his hatred of Lily and feeling of betrayal resurfaced. He ducked his head as his face grew dark.

Remus watched the change, dread growing in his stomach. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Logan, what happened?"

"Lily sent him back to the Dursley's over the summer. The headmaster has already taken him back to the school, saying he needed to make sure the potion was working 'properly' before the school year started." Logan spat out, the words leaving a rancid taste in his mouth.

"The Dursley's?" Remus questioned, brows furrowed in confusion. "Potion? Is he alright?"

Logan realized that Remus had left before Harry was sent away, that he knew nothing of what had happened over the years. He lifted his eyes to meet the others and began to explain, starting at the beginning, leaving nothing out. He told about how Harry was sent to the Dursley's shortly after the night Voldemort attacked. How he didn't see Harry for the next ten years of his life, the boy being but a mere memory, and then going to retrieve him. He hesitated to mention the part about what happened when his uncle Vernon had come home the cuts Harry had 'mysteriously' received but decided to tell Remus. From there he talked about the potion, how it made Harry act different, made him forgot. He spanned the two years of Hogwarts, about Harry being sorted into Slytherin, about his random fits, about going to Snape with his concerns over Harry, about Harry's friendship with Draco, about how Draco had helped him save Harry in the chambers. Remus had started briefly at the mention of Snape but otherwise remained silent as he told about his distrust of the headmaster and his fear that Harry was being abused by the muggles he lived with. Finally he ended with the recently passed summer, how Lily had sent Harry back, refused to even allow Logan to see his own brother, and the fights that had ensued because of this. As he spoke Remus's eyes grew dark, the amber orbs turning cold and dangerous. By the time he was done Remus was taunt, hands balled into fist, looking deadly and furious. A glimmer of hope flickered in his chest at Remus's reaction. Maybe Moony would actually help Harry, unlike every other adult that just made empty promises.

"Where is he know? At the school?" Remus asked, voice low.

Logan nodded. "As far as I know."

Remus fell silent, dark thoughts chasing themselves round in his head. His inner wolf wanted to tear whoever had hurt his pup to shreds but more importantly he wanted to see Harry, make sure he was safe. How could this have happened? How could have Lily let this happen? He remembered that Logan has always been Lily's favorite but he never thought that she would have willingly abandoned her other child. And to hear that he might have been abused made his hackles rise. But as much as he wanted to blame Lily for all of this he had to bear some of the blame himself. If he hadn't left he could have taken Harry in, he should have been there for the boy. Instead he had run away, eagerly jumping on Dumbledore's offer to go to the mainland on various errands and missions. After James was killed, Sirius indicted for murder, and Peter murdered he couldn't stay in England, he didn't want to stay in England. Dumbledore had some problems in Europe he needed to be taken care of, various magical creatures that had been affected and pissed off by Voldemort, and he had readily accepted, leaving with barely a word of goodbye to the boys. He had thought Lily would take good care of them, that he would be back within a few months. But months turned to years and years turned into a decade. He fought the urge to bury his face in his hands at his own cowardness. If he had just come back sooner he could have taken care of Harry, protected the boys, made sure everything was alright. He growled at himself and shook his head. He could deal with those thoughts and regrets later, right now Logan needed him.

"Everything is going to be okay," he assured the boy, pulling the boy close. "I'll protect Harry, I promise."

Logan looked up at him, eyes shining with hope. He felt the heavy weight of the responsibility fall upon his shoulders and promised himself that he would do everything he could to protect his pups.

There was a scream down the hall and the train halted to a stop. The lights flickered ominously before extinguishing. The silence that followed brought attention to the storm raging outside, the falling rain sounding like the pounding of fingers begging to be let in. The three teens looked at each other nervously. Remus rose, wand in hand, and stood in front of the door, shielding the children. The door rattled and slowly opened. A mottled hand edged its way through the crack, fingers skeletal. A tall figure was revealed as the door opened, draped in tattered shadows, face unseen. Logan watched the figure in awe and terror. As it glided into the carriage a sudden rush of terror filled him and a screaming filled his head. The screaming grew louder and louder and he clutched at his head, bending over as tears sprung to his eyes as pain began to built, soon reaching a fever pitch. He could hear the pleadings of a man, see the flash of a green light, smell the dark scent of death. The pain was unbearable and he found himself screaming as well, eyes screwed shut as his fingers clutched helplessly to his hair. His world exploded in pain and everything went black.

"Logan, Logan, are you okay?" a distant voice called to him what seemed like eons later. His body felt heavy, he didn't know if he could answer. He tried to say something and failed. Hands were on his body, lifting him up. Finally he managed to crack his eyes open only to find he was on the floor. Remus was supporting him, holding him in an upright position. Relief filled the other man's eyes as he looked at him.

"How are you feeling?" Remus asked.

Logan looked around once more as his head cleared. He blinked a few more times, shaking his head as he remembered the screaming in his head. "What happened?" he asked.

"You fainted mate." Fred pipped up helpfully.

"You fell from the seat, started screaming, and then promptly dropped off." George elaborated helpfully.

"Then Moony told that thing off and said some form of spell that sent a silvery fox after it. It left rather quickly after that." Fred added.

Logan nodded, trying to process all the new information. Belatedly he realized the lights were back on and they were moving. "What was that thing?" he asked his uncle.

"That was a dementor," Remus said as he gently lifted Logan onto the bench. "They're foul creatures that fed on despair. They cause people to recall their worst memory, sometimes trapping them in it."

Logan shuddered at the thought. That pleading… was that his father? He shook his head roughly, surprised as he heard a sharp crack. He looked over to find Remus breaking off large parts of a chocolate bar, handing a piece to everyone.

"Here, chocolate helps, a lot," he said. "Go on, I promise, it's not poisoned." the teens ate the chocolate. Logan felt better as warm flooded through him. Remus smiled knowingly.

"I'm going to go talk to the conductor real quick, see how far away we are from the school, you lot stay here and out of trouble." Remus said. He did one more check of everyone before disappearing into the corridor.

The teens waited in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Remus came back soon, informing them they were nearly to Hogwarts. They pulled on their school robes and passed the rest of the train ride making small talk.

The moment the express stopped Logan flew from the train and was the first one on the carriages, shortly followed by the twins and Remus. When he reached the school he hurried over to Professor McGonagall, demanding to see his brother, and had been sent to Madame Pomfrey who had been charged with taking care of the child. McGonagall had eyed Remus, as though wondering what he was doing with the children, but had not stopped to question them, sensing the urgency in the four.

Madame Pomfrey was waiting for them when they burst into the hospital wing, looking mildly surprised to see Remus among the group, and redirected them to where Harry was sitting on a bed, reading a book.

"Harry!" Logan exclaimed, rushing over to his brother, Remus at his heels.

Harry looked up from his book in surprise. Logan was shocked to see the dark bags under his eyes and gaunt look of his face. He swept his brother up in a hug, holding him close, growing frightened as he felt just how small Harry was.

Harry looked over his brother's shoulder at the other man. Remus was standing protectively by his bed, unsure of what to do. He wanted to school Harry up in a hug as well but according to what Logan had told him and the questioning look on Harry's face it seemed as though the boy didn't remember him.

Logan released Harry from the hug and gestured to Remus. "This is Remus Lupin, I call him Moon though. He's our uncle," Harry's eyes widened slightly at the word 'uncle'. Remus took note of that while Logan continued as though nothing had happened. "Well, he's not really our uncle but I call him that. He's just a family friend but he's close enough to be family."

Logan paused in his explanation to see if Harry had retained any of that information. Harry rose a hand and muttered a quick greeting, looking scared and unsure.

"Hi Harry," Remus said back, smiling gently. He had to fight down a whimper and the instinct to hold the boy in his arms until his fear went away. It was painful, being so close to his pup and yet unable to help him, in fact being part of his fear. He kept all of this off of his face, only showing a kind smile and warm eyes.

After a moment Harry smiled back and his heart melted at the sight.

Madame Pomfrey set the two boys free to go to the feast, even though they had missed the sorting. The twins tagged along, jesting to try and lighten the mood. Remus stayed, waiting until the boys were out of earshot before turning on Madame Pomfrey.

"What's wrong with him?" he demanded, eyes flashing gold.

Madame Pomfrey paled slightly but stood tall even as the stench of fear leaked from her. "I don't know," she confessed. "He has a personal healer that Albus has hired to attend to him. I have been forbidden from running any test or doing anything besides general care."

Remus snarled. "He smells of death. The boy is dying."

"I know," Madame Pomfrey snapped, cheeks flaring red. "I've been trying to help that boy for over two years now. Every attempt to help him has been thwarted and now I have no say at all thanks to that blasted professor June. Hell, I shouldn't even let him leave the hospital wing but Dumbledore is forcing him to, saying he is fine."

Remus didn't like Dumbledore's involvement in this at all. It seemed as though there was something going on and the headmaster was at the center of it. He didn't want to think ill of his saviour, the only one to treat him as a human and who had allowed him to come to school where he had met the most important people of his life, but it seemed as though whatever was happening to Harry Dumbledore was the cause of it. He bit the inside of his cheek, drawing blood.

"What about the potion?" he questioned. "What's that about?"

Madame Pomfrey gave a sigh. "It's for magical seizures, or at least that's what they told me. I'm starting to think differently. I was going to have Severus examine them but now that he's thirteen he doesn't have to come to the hospital wing to get the medication, he has them in his room now. He's been on the potion for as long as he's been coming here and he seems to get worse the longer he's on it. At the tail end of last year he was in here constantly complaining about headaches and being tired all the time. For the week he's been here he's been asleep the majority of the time yet he still complains of being tired."

Remus nodded, processing the information. "How involved is Severus in this?" he asked, ignoring the small shiver that ran down his spine as he said the other man's name.

"He's the most involved out of anyone here but Dumbledore has his hands tied as well. He's tried to look into the potion several times and has talked to the headmaster more times than I can count over the summer but so far nothing has changed." Madame Pomfrey said.

"I think I'll go talk with him," he said after a moment of thought. "Thank you Poppy,"

"Let me know if I can be of any help," Madame Pomfrey offered. "Heaven knows the child needs it."

Remus assured her he would come to her if needed and strode from the hospital wing and into the dungeons. The path was familiar and he was filled with conflicting emotions as he continued.

Sometime during fourth year he had befriended Lily, who in turn introduced him to Severus. The boy was cold and haughty, often sneering at anything he said and mocking him whenever he got something wrong, yet somehow they managed to achieve a tentative friendship. He had been down in the dungeons many times on study dates with Severus, who would tutor him in potions and in return he would help him with care of magical creatures. Even after Lily and Severus had their falling out they two had remained friends. Walking the same path he had walked so many times before brought back memories of them being bent over a book, bickering about the correct method to ensnare a griffith, watching the other boy's dark eyes light up as they brewed a potion correctly. It was nearly overwhelming. He hadn't thought about Severus in so long, trying to forget the other boy completely after the… accident…

As he came to a halt in front of the potions master's office door he pushed all those thoughts away, needing a clearhead for the conversation ahead. A quick check of the time told him that the feast was over and Severus, unless he was still with his snakes, should be here. With a deep breath he knocked.

There was a moment of suspense as everything halted, his own heartbeat echoing in his ears. The moment was shattered as the door opened and a voice from inside called for him to enter. His heart skipped a beat at that drawling tone and he wondered if he was strong enough for this. God, he had spent so long trying to forget the other man… Well, he was going to have to work with him this year so he would just have to get used to it. Besides, Harry needed him. Screwing up his courage he walked into the door and froze.

Severus sat at his desk, black hair hiding his face from view, greasy from whatever potions he had been working on that day. He was looking down, presumably writing something, hand moving gracefully over the paper. His eyes were dark, half lidded as they usually were. Remus had seen Severus like this so many times. True, the man was, well, as man now, no longer a boy or a teenager, but the image still brought many fond memories of the other.

Severus finished writing the lesson plan he was working on and looked up, a rebuke on his lips for whatever student was wasting his time, only to freeze at the man before him. There stood a man he never thought he would see again, Remus Lupin, the one who had ran away, who had left him. His hair had grown out, nearly braided down his back, skin tanned, eyes as warm as always. It seemed as though wherever the man had run to the environment had done him good. Pain that he had tried so hard to repress all these years came roaring back, curling his lips into a bitter sneer.

"So you're finally back," Severus said coldly, voice like ice. He was glad to see that the other man at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"Yeah," Remus replied. "I…" he didn't know what to say, what could he say with all the history behind them.

Severus saved him from embarrassment, cutting in neatly. "What are you here for?"

"Harry," Remus said, grateful that he didn't have to try and work his way into the conversation. "I'm worried about him. Logan just told me what had been happening and that you were the one he went to the most over the years."

Severus inclined his head. "Yes, Logan has confided in me quite a lot about Harry's condition. Why are you here though?"

"I'm worried about Harry as well, I want to help," Remus said. "He's bad, sick, possibly dying."

Severus straightened up, eyes tight with worry. "What are you talking about?" He knew the boy was bad but not that bad. At the end of last year the boy had been deemed perfectly healthy by Healer June.

"I just visited him in the hospital wing. I could smell it on him. He smells of one about to die." Remus elaborated.

"The hospital wing?" Severus repeated, feeling as though he was missing something. "What was he doing in the hospital wing?"

As if on cue Logan burst into the room, fire in his eyes. "Snape!" he yelled. "You bloody bastard! You promised he wouldn't go back to the Dursley's! You fucking promised!"

Severus rose, unwilling to be disrespected in his own office. "Mr. Potter, I would appreciate it if you would lower your voice and knock before entering next time. Also, language. You will be deductive house points if I hear that sort of language again. Now how about you try again. What are you going on about?"

Logan seemed to loose a bit of his steam, though his furious glare was still fixed on Severus. The fact that Remus was in the room seemed to calm the boy a bit and he continued in a lower pitch of voice, no longer yelling. "Harry was sent back to the Dursley's this summer. You promised he wouldn't."

Severus's brows furrowed. "I was assured that he would be staying with you and your mother. Was that not the case?"

"No!" Logan snarled loudly. At the pointed look from Snape he lowered his voice again. "He was sent back to the Dursley's for most of the summer, only coming here about a week ago so they could do something with that fucking potion."

Severus thought about deducting points for the boys language but thought better of it. There were bigger things to deal with. So Harry had been at the Dursley's all summer then taken directly to the school. That explained Remus's statement about seeing the boy in the hospital wing. Still, the headmaster had reassured him that Harry would be staying with his brother and mother all summer. It looked as though he was going to have to have a talk with the headmaster soon.

Severus looked to the teen. "I was reassured by the headmaster that your brother would be spending the summer vacation with you and your brother. Consequently I was sent on a series of errands over the summer that took up most of my time, making it impossible to check if what he had said was true." he turned to Remus. "Since it seems as though we both have questions for the headmaster it would be wise to take our concerns to him together."

Remus nodded in agreement. Severus could see the gold glint in the others eye and felt bad for the headmaster. He knew first hand how terrifying the wolf would be.

"I want to come," Logan insisted. "He's my brother and I deserve to know what is happening and what has been done to him."

Severus thought of the pros and cons of allowing the child to join them. While he was disinclined to allow Potter to come he had a point, he was his brother if nothing else. After a moment of contemplation he inclined his head in agreement. "Alright, you may come,"

Severus looked at the two in front of him. "Let's go to my quarters, it'll be safer to talk there." he said. The two followed him from his office into this private chambers.

He had a living room, kitchen, study, and bedroom. For the time being he led them into the living room, casting a quick spell to lit the fireplace. The room was bathed in a warm flickering light, highlighting the soft ambers and red wood that was the main colour scheme of the room. Logan shot him a look of surprise while Remus looked at him knowingly.

He gestured for them to sit, himself sitting in a well worn reading chair by the fire. Logan and Remus sat on the sofa. Once everyone was settled he spoke.

"Alright, what concerns do you have about Harry? What possible solutions can you suggest? And what needs to be done?" he said.

Logan and Remus both spoke up. After a bit of confusion over who should speak first they quickly fell into a discussion, Severus taking notes every now and again. They talked well into the night, the moon rising as they worked. They wanted to have everything down before they talked to the headmaster so he couldn't try and manipulate them due to their lack of planning. Something had to be done about Harry and soon and they weren't going to delay just because they couldn't keep the facts straight or what they wanted to have done.

Sometime around midnight Severus sent Logan off to bed, promising the boy that they would talk to the headmaster tomorrow. The threat of mutiny shone in Logan's blue eyes but after Remus had thrown his support behind Severus the boy conceded. Remus decided to walk Logan to his room and the two bid Severus goodnight.

He watched them leave, making sure they were gone before he stood, placing the notes he had taken neatly on his bookshelf. He rubbed a tired hand over his face. Only this morning his only worry was about what cauldrons were going to be melted in his first year hufflepuff class, now he was going up against the headmaster with a child and a werewolf. Sighing he strode from the room. Even though he much to do tomorrow he couldn't sleep yet. He knew that a big part of everything that was happening was part of that potion. If he could just figure out what it did he knew that a lot would be explained. But first, he needed to obtain the potion.

With this in mind he swept down the hallways and to the Slytherin dormitories.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Sorry for the delay in posting, I have a lot to do one weekends.

So this chapter was very different form where I thought it was going, but here ya go. Plus, there's Remus! Yays^^

Please tell me what you think of it so far, I've gotten some great reviews that have helped a lot (since I tend to forgot a lot of things, like Sirius is a thing...) Thanks for reading!


	22. Don't be Afraid

A pounding on his door woke Harry up the following morning. His eyelids were heavy and his blankets warm and comforting. He snuggled further into his nest, only a faint light creeping from underneath the crack of his closet door. Sleep was stealing back into his mind, whispering sweet promises, and was about to take him back when the pounding continued.

"Go away Aunt Petunia…" he mumbled, not realizing what he had said. He was far too interested in the calls of sleep.

The pounding continued and he had nearly fallen asleep to the methodic sound when the door burst open. The new noise was enough to have him crack open an eye as a voice reached him.

"Harry," Draco called for him. "Where are you? We've got class."

He ignored the blond and pulled a blanket over his head, hoping Draco wouldn't find his nest. As soon as the wish had left his head the closet door opened and he came spilling out, banging his elbow and head.

"Ow," he muttered, glaring up at the blond.

Draco just smirked. If the blond was surprised at all by finding him in the closet he hid it well. "Come on Harry," the other boy said. "Breakfast is nearly over and we still need to get our schedules."

As he forced himself to get ready for school Draco perched on his still made bed and pulled out a book. Even though the semester had yet to start the blond was already studying for everything and had apparently been studying over the summer with Professor Snape as well. It was odd though, Draco usually boasted all about what adventures he had over the summer but this year he had only mentioned studying a lot. He hoped Draco was okay.

He finished pulling on some clothes and grabbed his book bag, mildly surprised to find it filled with books. He didn't remember getting any school supplies. Then again, he didn't remember much of the summer.

Shaking his head roughly he grabbed his potion as well, downing that quickly, making a face at the taste. Draco shot him a look of indecisive worry but he ignored it, placing the vial back on his dresser.

"You ready?" Draco asked, snapping his book shut neatly as he rose to his feet.

He nodded with a yawn. God, he was so tired. Why did classes have to be so early? He kind of missed being in the hospital wing. There he got to sleep as much as he'd like.

Body protesting, muscles aching for sleep, he followed Draco to the great hall. Snape was just coming around with the schedules and handed them theirs, Draco accepting his with a polite 'Thank You' while he laid his head on Draco's shoulder and tried to sleep.

They shared all their classes that day and Harry lagged behind Draco, often stumbling. Draco had begun standing closer than usual to him in the hallways, reaching out a hand whenever he looked unsteady. During classes he would often try to sleep on the blondes shoulder. Draco had protested at first but after seeing the large bags underneath the other boys eyes he conceded. None of their teachers bothered them that day, a welcome change from the usual, and Harry managed to sleep through most of the day until lunch. Draco forced some food into the other boy, who insisted he wasn't hungry and just wanted to sleep. After lunch they made their way to the dungeons for double potions class with the Gryffindors.

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Severus suppressed a yawn as he watched the Hufflepuffs filtered out of the classroom. He pulled out a small energy potion from his desk, knocking it back quickly, then set about prepping the room for his next class. Once he was done and seeing he had a few minutes of free time he made his way into his personal lab. On his workbench there were several vials of a golden liquid, most being held at homeostasis spells and some at different temperatures.

He quickly bond his hair with an elastic and began recording the results of those kept at different temperatures.

After Remus and Logan had left his chambers he had stole into the Slytherin common room. While the place was heavily warded and the dormitories even more so being the head of house he was keyed into all the wards in case of emergencies. Now he abused that power to nick a vial of that potion from Harry's room. He had been mildly surprised to find that the boy was not in his bed, rather in the closet, and had stored the information away for later use. When he got back to his lab he had made as many duplicates as possible without messing with the chemical and magical composition of the potion and had set about unraveling the secrets held within the golden liquid.

Reverse engineering was difficult, reverse engineering a potion whose purpose is originally unknown is even more so. He hadn't put this much effort into potions since his apprenticeship with Imogen Mirren.

He gave a bleak chuckle, remembering those fond days. He had apprenticed with her shortly after the first war had ended. She had been a sassy women and harsh slavemaster. At first the house elves had been treated better than him, he had took over most of his jobs. That didn't negate that she was one of the finest potion masters in the world. It had been a miracle that he had been allowed to apprentice under her, seeing as she was no longer, and still doesn't, take apprentices, always muttering something about them being too troublesome, too much work.

As he began to run a vial of the potion through various test he wondered what she was up to. Last he had heard she was somewhere in South America looking into the possible origins of vampires and the possibility of a cure.

A sudden buzzing at his wrist alerted him to students coming in. He carefully recorded his results, pulled his elastic from his hair, and made his way back into the classroom to terrorize his next class.

By the time of his final class he was exhausted. Every moment of free time he had was spent analyzing the potion. The main difficulty with it is that it appeared to be a mild magical suppressant for seizures, but there were some variables. It's not unheard of that a potion could be disguised as another potion and by doing so it made finding the real purpose of the potion so much more difficult because all test would point towards the potion being something else. At the moment it looked as though this was the case. To find the effect the potion was having on Harry he would have to figure out the composition of the potion, which would take some time. The fact that Dumbledore had gone through so much trouble to do something like this scared him. In most cases that involved potions this complex is was for revenge, a long held family grudge or a personal injury, or it was the work of a madman. What could a child have done against the headmaster to have something like this happen to him?

As Gryffindors and Slytherins begun to shuffle in he pushed the thoughts from his mind. He had a class to teach. The third year students filed in, voices hushing as they walked through the door, and took their seats. He was glad to see they had learnt how to be silent after two years. He had already dealt with enough loud and obnoxious children for the day.

As he waited for everyone to come in and take their seats he sought out Harry. The boy was sitting in the back with Draco. He was surprised to see him leaning on his godsons shoulder. Draco had never been a very touchy person, tending to shy away from any and all touch. The events at the end of last year had made it even worst. Over the summer Draco had barely tolerated a simple hand on the shoulder. To see Harry practically asleep on his shoulder while he read a book made him a bit grateful for the black haired little brat. He was worried to see the dark bags under Harry's eyes though and the fact that the boy seemed to have trouble staying awake.

Once everyone had made their way into the room he began his lecture, running through the basics and properties of the calming draught. There was a flurry of quills as his students rushed to write everything down. The only two who weren't was Harry, who was still resting on Draco, and Longbottom. He frowned slightly at the later but ignored it. During the lecture he caught Granger looking back several times at Harry, her face pinched in worry. He wondered how much she knew about what was going on. He vaguely remembered her spending time with Harry last year. Perhaps she could be of help.

After his lecture he put the directions for the potion on the board, allowing them to work in pairs or on their own. He was glad to see Harry and Draco paired together, hating to think of the damage a sleep deprived child could wreak, remembering the damage a sleep deprived damage could do. Finals week was always terrifying, especially with his upperclassmen.

He stalked throughout the room as they worked. Granger was paired with Weasley, who was currently doing ingredient preparation. Draco was doing the majority of the work while Harry murmured sleepy hints every now and again, reminding the other boy of something he had missed or something they could do to make it more efficient. He came to a halt by Longbottom's cauldron. For once the pudgy boy was working alone, creating the potion with ease, not even referring to the board. He was taken a bit back. Longbottom had always had issues in his class, he had been forced to clean up far too many melted cauldrons because of the child. Yet, here Longbottom was, creating a relatively difficult potion with ease and the potion was the perfect shade of lavender currently.

He continued on his rounds but kept an eye on Longbottom, noting that the boy had lost weight, quite a bit it seemed by how baggy his robes were on him. As the class dragged on he had the growing suspicion that Longbottom might have some previous experience with brewing the calming draught. The potion was highly addictive and it wasn't a surprise to find a few students addicted to it every year. Since his first year of teaching he had been forced to spot the signs and tells of a potions addict, especially since potions was his forte. The potion addicts were usually older though, silly teenagers wishing to be punks and unable to comprehend the damage done by the potions they consumed. They weren't young third years who hadn't even hit puberty.

He fought back a sigh and promised to tell Minerva of Longbottom's disturbing behavior so she could watch over the boy. He would keep an eye on the boy as well. Potion addicts this young usually had a reason other than peer pressure or the desire to be 'cool'. Abuse was very often a key factor. From what he could remember Lady Longbottom was a stern woman but loving of her grandson, though she didn't always show it, but then again, sometimes not everything was as it seems. His eyes drifted over to where Harry was leaning on Draco's shoulder, saying something about how whole rose petals would be better than crushed due to the naturally calming components of them and how it would make it slightly less addictive. There were too many children here whose fates they did nothing to deserve.

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"Hey Potter," a crude voice called from behind. "Is it true you fainted on the train?"

Logan turned around, the twins following in suit. There stood Slytherin he faintly recognized. If he remembered correctly his name was Pucey, Adrian Pucey. Pucey wore an ugly smirk, looking smug as a small group of Slytherins giggled at the jab.

Several Gryffindors came to his defense, raising protest. Soon there were threats being made and it seemed as though several were ready to throw some punches. Wanting to avoid confrontation he quickly stood in between the the invisible line that seemed to divide the two houses.

"Whoa, whoa," he said, raising his hands in a sign of peace. "Calm down everyone. I'm sure Pucey here meant no harm. He was just checking to make sure I was alright." he turned to smile cheekily at the Slytherin. "I'm fine by the way, thanks for your concern."

Pucey looked bewildered, red rising to his face as he sensed he was being mocked. This time both Gryffindors and Slytherins were snickering at the scene. Logan flashed them all a charming smile.

"Now that my health has been assured we should probably all get to class," he said, walking back over to the twins. He raised a hand to wave to Pucey. "Bye Pucey, see you around."

Pucey muttered some threats under his breath but left it alone as everyone began drifting off to their class. Logan halfheartedly listened to the twins as they replayed the scene, commenting on how ridiculous Pucey had looked when Logan had mocked him.

Personally, he was tired of all the house rivality bullshit. It had been going on ever since he had been here. The courageous and good Gryffindors versus the evil and slimy Slytherins. More often than not Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff sided with the Gryffindors, leaving the snakes to fend for themselves. It was disgusting when he stopped to think about it. It not only affected the students but the teachers as well. He had seen how the professors often treated the Slytherins, like they were less than everyone else. Snape was the only professor that actually favoured them. The majority of the professors favoured Gryffindors, often taking their side if a fight breaks out or an accident happens. He scowled at the injustice of it. It was ridiculous, all of this happening based off of what house you were sorted in.

He brought it up to the twins later that night in the common room. They were seated around the fire, several books opened half hearted in an attempt to study. Bored and deciding to take a well deserved break he turned to the twins.

"Have you ever noticed how unfair the house system is around here?" he asked. Both of the twins looked up in mild surprise. They put their books aside, glad for the distraction and curious to see where this conversation was going.

"A bit," Fred said with a shrug.

George elaborated. "It's something anyone pays attention to. It's been going on since before we were here and we just kinda went with it."

Logan nodded. "I know, but," he paused, trying to think about where he should begin.

"So, this summer I decided to start looking into history and politics and that sort of stuff. Since I am the boy he lived and all," he shot a wink at the twins who chuckled. "I decided it would be good to know that sort of stuff. As I started looking more in history, especially the history of Hogwarts, I noticed how unfair the house system is and how biased the history they teach us nowadays is.

"You see, before the first war all the houses were treated equal. There was very little house rivalry, though they teach us otherwise. In fact one of the only major house rivalries was between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw over a disruption over how the library should be organized. After fighting for two months they finally came to a compromise. For the most part houses was just a little thing, somewhere you went to at the end of the day. People from other houses used to sit at each others tables all the time, something that rarely happens now, and there was very little 'house' rivalries, though the school boy rivalries were still a thing.

"While they teach that house rivalries have always been a thing that's false. It only became a thing after the first war. Slytherin was automatically seem as the 'bad' house because Voldemort was from there," the twins flinched slightly at the name but he ignored them, plowing on through his lecture. "Now, everyone always says that Slytherins are 'bad' because the most death eaters came from that house. While that is true there's a reason for that. The friends Riddle made during school, the little posse he created, those were who first became death eaters. At the time they did so they were but children, messing around. Riddle was a very persuasive speaker and talked a lot of people into it. At the time they just thought it was some silly club thing. In later years, when he went all evil and shit, the people who had joined thinking it was just a silly thing all of a sudden had to participate. Voldemort did not take kindly to those who abandoned. There's countless tales and stories of people who were forced to be part of the death eaters and memories of what happened to those who tried to abandon. So far there are only three successful ex-death eaters that left while Voldie was still up and about. The others were all tortured to death.

"From there his followers were forced to influence/pressure their own children to join, most of whom happened to be in Slytherin. Family members were often held ransom and the such to pressure them to join. The children from the other houses, for the most part, never had to deal with those pressures. Of course, they never teach that in history class. Rather they teach that all Slytherins are bad and snakes are evil and everyone in that house is a death eater."

Logan stopped his tirade with a frustrated wave of his arms, leaning back in his chair and heavy a heavy sigh. "It's stupid…" he muttered.

Fred laughed at his friends antics, joining him on the couch. "Agreed,"

George hesitated slightly, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "You're right, it is moronic, especially a decade after the war. The thing is every student at Hogwarts has grew up with their parents influencing or has been influenced once they gotten here. Many of the professors here still remember the first war. It was horrific, tearing families apart, killing hundreds, leaving everyone with some form of scar, be it emotional or physical. It's hard to forget something like that, even harder to forgive. It's so much easier to blame someone and the Slytherin house just happened to be who they chose."

Fred looked surprised at his brothers articulate answer while Logan beamed, sitting up straight.

"Exactly!" Logan exclaimed. He rose to his and began pacing. "If we could just change that somehow. We probably won't be able to change the adult's mind. They won't take us seriously, they never do. But we can talk to the students!"

Fred thought about this. "Well, they are the future of t our country."

"Yeah," George added. "If we can change their mentality now once they get into the workforce they can start changing others minds as well and help eliminate the social injustice outside of Hogwarts." He was referring to the tendency of employers to hire based off of house rather than qualifications, another factor to why so many Slytherins became death eaters after Hogwarts, unable to find jobs.

"Now we just need to figure out a way to do it," Logan mused. "Just talking to them won't work, we actually need to show them that houses are useless, that we're all just students of Hogwarts."

"We could start a revolution," Fred threw out jokingly. As fun as this was to muse about he wasn't as emotionally invested as his brother and Logan were. He had come to accept the social injustices of their society long ago.

Logan snapped his fingers, looking to Fred with a huge smile. "Exactly! We need a revolution!" he paused. "Not a real one of course, with the fighting and all that, but a social revolution."

George tapped his chin in thought. "Maybe we could host activities that would include the whole school, like sports or something like that."

"Quidditch?" Fred offered.

Logan shook his head. "That wouldn't work, quidditch is tied too deeply into house pride. We need something neutral, maybe a muggle sport?"

"That could work," George mused. "That would also include the muggle and expose the wizards to the muggle world in a way they never are. There's so many muggle borns at Hogwarts and their forced to practically give up their entire culture to come here while the only exposure most wizards have to muggles is muggle studies, if they even choose to take that, and whoever they meet before they get to Platform 9 ¾ ."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Logan said to George, eyes lighting up. "We could work at abolishing the house system and the muggle wizard barrier at the same time!"

Fred watched the two with amusement and a slight bit of envy. They actually believed they could change something, it was rare to see. Most people had already given up and just accepted the system by this point, yet here they were plotting and planning. He felt bad for them, knowing the disappointment they would feel once they found out they couldn't change anything, but also envied them in their childish optimism. He shook his head with a slight laugh, wondering he had become such a cynic, and rejoined the discussion.

They brainstormed and threw around a few more ideas before Logan noticed the time. He had promised to meet Moony at his office around eight so they could go confront the headmaster. The twins already knew of this engagement, having been filled in during transfiguration about the pow pow between himself, Remus, and Snape, and waved their friend off, promising to watch over his school supplies to make sure no one drew any dicks in his notes. He laughed as he walked to Moony's office, knowing full well that it would be those two drawing the dicks in his notes.

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Dumbledore watched as the head of education left through the floo, sending up a shower of green sparks. They floated lazily in the air and he watched their progress as they drifted to the floor. One by one their shining light was snuffed out by the dark blue carpet.

Due to the escape of Sirius Black dementors had been posted at the gates of the school and patrolled throughout the forbidden forest. The head of education had been worried about how they would affect the children and had promised to be back every week for check ups to make sure that the dementors weren't affecting the children's learning environment or test scores. Ultimately it was a pointless endeavour. Even if dementors were found to be responsible for the lowering of the children's marks in their classes the dementors would stay. If they were removed the board of education would have a much bigger problem on their plate as dozens of children, possibly hundreds, were pulled from the school. Many children had only been allowed to come back due to the promise of the dementors patrolling the grounds. But the ministry had to have their sticky fingers in everything and so the weekly visits were deemed necessary.

His thoughts drifted from that of the dementors to Logan. The boy had had such a violent reaction to the creatures. While several of the students aboard the train had felt faint and many had burst into tears Logan was the only one who had fainted. From what he had gathered from those who had been nearby, he had yet to question Remus, it seemed as though Logan had remembered the night Voldemort had come after them. That was probably one of the worst memories anyone could have and it was no wonder that his mind had dredged that up to relive. The boy would need to learn how to produce a patronus as to protect himself. Perhaps he could talk to Remus about it.

He steepled his fingers as he pondered Logan. He had meant to start giving specialized lessons to him this year, seeing as the boy was old enough. Logan needed to learn about the prophecy, though only a bit of it, and how to be a leader along with public speaking, possibly some compulsion, and about the history of the first war. This was the year he was going to begin molding Logan into a leader but according to Lily the boy had taken a disliking to him. Somehow the thought that he was responsible for Harry's condition had wormed its way into Logan's mind. Personally he blamed Severus. There was no way a boy so young could link Harry's deterioration back to him, the worst he could blame was his mother, who seemed to be the sole cause of most of this. He knew that Logan had been talking to Severus. He was also aware that Severus wasn't as close to him as he had been in the past. He was no longer informed of Severus's every move and while he highly doubted it if this trend continued his former spy could turn on him. He would need to take measures to make sure that didn't happen. Severus, while unaware of it, was a force to be reckoned with, one he would rather keep in his pocket.

Now there was just the problem of Harry to deal with. The boy was becoming quite a problem. He had grown a natural immunity to the potion by the end of last year and an entirely new one had to be crafted during the summer, which was why Logan was not allowed to see his brother. While sending Harry back to the Dursley's for the entire summer wasn't the best plan he could have constructed it was the easiest and with the whole Black and dementor situation he hadn't the time to figure something else out for the boy at the time. Now it seemed as though that had been a mistake. Logan was distrustful of him and at odds with Lily, Severus was suspicious, Remus was involved, and even Poppy had been badgering about the child's health. Thankfully Healer June had managed to create a new potion by the beginning of the school year. It didn't work as well as the other but it would have to do for now. There was simply too much going on to devote the time and dedication needed to deal with Harry. Something would have to be done though. The boy was simply causing too much trouble. He couldn't kill the child though, not only because of the moral implications, but it make those suspicious turn on him along with possibly dragging up the boy's past and that simply could not happen. Perhaps he could find a temporary guardian for Harry, since Lily would never take the child back. It would have to be someone he could manipulate into making sure the boy was kept under control. That would work short term but long term would be harder. There wasn't many options for the child. It saddened him greatly that he was forced to view the child in such a way but he was a liability, one he could not afford.

A knock on the door broke him from his musings. He checked the wards only to find it was Severus, Remus, and Logan. A wave of exhaustion washed over him. This could lead to nothing good and whatever they wanted was not something he wanted to deal with today.

Even as these thoughts ran through his head he summoned them in, schooling his face into that of grandfatherly affection and curiosity.

"How are you doing today my boys?" he asked as they filed in. "Care for a lemon drop."

All three of them declined. His heart sank as he saw the determined look in all of their eyes and the demanding way they stood. He motioned for them to sit. Logan was the only one who moved to sit before realizing his companions hadn't moved and hurriedly stood again with an embarrassed flush.

Once it became clear they weren't here for pleasantries he allowed his smile to drop slightly, though not completely as to appeal to Logan. He steepled his fingers and studying the group beyond them.

"What can I for you today?" he asked.

Surprisingly it was Logan who spoke first. "We wanted to talk with you about the condition Harry is in and what can be done for him." the boy's voice shook slightly but he held his head high, shoulders back. The boy, only fifteen, was already beginning to look and speak like a leader. A smiled tugged at his lips at the sight. This was the leader the wizarding world would need once Voldemort returned, which, after the events of last year, was no longer an if but rather a when.

"What about Harry?" he asked, adding a slight touch of confusion to his tone as though he didn't already know all that was happening to the boy.

Severus spoke up this time. "The boy is ill, drastically so, and has been for some time. Recently he has gotten worst. I have had several students come forth to express their concern for the boy. We simply wish to see something done about it."

Dumbledore stared into the potion master's black eyes, not surprised when his gentle probing was met by silvery mental shields. Severus's neutral posture and cold eyes gave away no emotion and he was forcibly reminded why the man had been the only successful spy amongst Voldemort's ranks, the others he had sent to try and infiltrate the death eaters having all been found and killed.

To the trio he spoke simply. "Everything that can be done for Harry is being done. Due to his propensity to magical seizures a potion must be tailored for his needs and doing that is very difficult and the side effects not always desira-"

"Bull shit," Remus interrupted, eyes flashing gold. Dumbledore, as well as Logan and Severus, looked at him in surprise. Remus continued on, not caring about the shocked look on their faces. "Harry is dying. The boy reeks of death. And you're just going to sit here and tell us everything has already been done for him? You have a potions masters at your disposal who is more qualified than any healer to make a customized potion and, from what I hear, you are actively seeking to keep information from him. You have banned Madame Pomfrey from helping him at all besides simple check ups, one of the best mediwitches in England. What is truly being done for him?"

Dumbledore was shocked at his professors strong words and the bold approach taken. He had become so used to the subtle dance of words and secret meanings that was common in encounters with Severus. Thankfully Remus seemed to have remember that he was his employer and an embarrassed flush tinged his ears though his eyes still shone with determination.

Logan, seeming to sense the tension in the room, came forth. "What Professor Lupin means is that we're all worried about Harry and aren't sure that everything is being done to help him. Perhaps allowing Madame Pomfrey or Professor Snape examine Harry will help not only him but ease our, and others, concerns as well."

Dumbledore was impressed at the teens negotiating skills. He spoke tactfully, trying to please everyone. He wondered where Logan had learned it, there were no public speaking classes at Hogwarts and he wasn't on speaking terms with Lily yet here he was. Several options opened up to him. There was no way he could allow Logan to continue the way he was without some form of tutelage and it seemed as though his brother was his weak point. Maybe he could use Harry in some way to influence Logan.

"I understand your concerns," Dumbledore said gravely, making a quick decision. "His condition is tragic and perhaps you are right. I thought a private healer would be for the best since his condition is so rare and specialized. It seems this is not the case. I would be delighted if Severus could take some time from his busy schedule to help Healer June with Harry's condition."

Severus tensed, already sensing the catch. The headmaster would never give in so easily, not unless he was getting something in return. As Logan and Dumbledore turned to him in question, Logan's eyes shining with hope, he inclined his head. "I believe I could find time to assist the child."

"Very good," Dumbledore smiled widely. He noticed Remus was standing, uncharacteristically silent, eyes dark and brooding. He hoped the threat of losing his job would keep the other man silent or at least could deter him from making a scene. It was clear Remus didn't trust him. He wondered what had happened to the man who had trusted him without question just a few months previous, even just a few weeks earlier. It seemed as though he hadn't factored in how strong Remus's feeling were towards Logan and Harry. He was going to have to keep an eye on that in the future.

There were a few more pleasantries exchanged, details ironed out. Severus would meet the following Monday with Healer June to help create a better potion for Harry. He would have to talk with her before then to ensure that Severus didn't discover the true purpose behind the potion. Once everything was all said and done they said their farewells. As they moved to leave he called after Logan.

"Logan, would you mind staying for a moment. There something I wanted to discuss with you."

Remus bristled at the demand, not trusting the headmaster with his pup. Logan placed a calming hand on his arm. "Don't worry Moony, I'll be right out."

"I can stay," he offered, not wanting to leave Logan, scared of what might happen.

Logan smiled and shook his head. "I'll be fine."

Remus growled, not liking this at all. "Fine," he conceded. "But I'm waiting right outside. If you need me yell."

"Thank you Moony," Logan said, squeezing his arm once before turning back to face the headmaster.

Dumbledore watched the scene. He definitely could not underestimate Remus's protectiveness over the boys. Remus could cause a lot of trouble if he wasn't care. In fact, it seemed as though everyone could cause a lot of trouble if he wasn't careful. As Logan turned back to face him he was glad that one thing was going according to plan.

"There's something I wanted to discuss with you," he said. Logan nodded, obviously waiting for him to continue. "Now that you are in your fifth year and doing well in your studies I thought that it might be beneficial for you to have extra lessons as well."

Logan pursed his lips in thought. "What would this lessons cover and who would they be with?" he asked.

"They would be with me." he responded to the boy. "We would cover more advanced defensive spells, politics, history, and public speaking. Seeing as you are the boy who lived it would only be expected for you to be well versed in all of these subjects and I am painfully aware of how Hogwarts doesn't always convey the full truth."

Amused surprise flashed through Logan's eyes and a small smirk quirked his lips before falling. The reaction was not what he was accepting and wondered what could have caused it.

"Very well," Logan agreed. "It sounds reasonable. What days and where?"

"In my office," Dumbledore paused. "Would Wednesday's work?"

Logan nodded. "I'll be here at seven." he turned and began walking towards the door. With his hand on the handle he tossed one last remark over his shoulder. "Thanks for the help with Harry." showing that he had caught the relationship between Dumbledore caving into their demands and the lessons. Once more Dumbledore was surprised by the teen's insightfulness. If trained properly Logan could become one of the greatest war heroes the wizarding community has every seen.

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It had been a week since school started and Harry wasn't getting any better. He slept all the time, no longer doing school work and sometimes skipping classes. In classes he was always propped up against Draco's shoulder, if not asleep then close to it. Draco had to remind Harry to go to meals, often just bringing Harry back food when the other boy didn't show. He had been to talk with Madame Pomfrey about Harry's condition but she had simply said she wasn't allowed to do anything more than a simple scan, which had showed nothing wrong. Healer June wasn't due to come for another two days. He had gone to Severus but his godfather couldn't do anything until Healer June came.

It was frustrating, seeing that something was so clearly wrong with Harry and no one doing anything. He had even been up to the lions den, hollering at the portrait until Logan had come out. Logan had offered some reassurance about Severus helping soon, seeming confident that something was going to change. Draco wasn't so sure. Harry was asleep more than he was awake, he was stumbling, he was barely eating, he was wasting away and no one was doing anything! How could no one else see this?

Growling Draco made his way to the dungeons to grab Harry for dinner. He had let the other boy sleep after he had fallen asleep after lunch. It scared him, how much Harry was sleeping, it wasn't normal. Even though he slept so much he was still so weak and there were dark bag under his eyes. Weren't bags from lack of sleep? Harry's magic was affected as well. It was weaker, his spell casting was worst than Longbottoms now. It was almost as if he were a squib.

Pushing the dark thoughts from his mind he knocked gently at Harry's door, having reached it while lost in thought. Not hearing a response, he rarely ever did, he entered. As usual the bed was made and unslept in. A small snuffling from the closet let him know where Harry was at.

He had tried asking Harry about why he slept in the closet instead of on the bed, seeing at how small and cramped the closet was, but Harry had shrugged, saying he couldn't remember and it just felt safer. He had let it go after Harry had gotten a headache when he questioned too much.

Now he made his way to the closet and pulled over the door slowly, catching Harry as he came tumbling out.

"Harry," he said softly. He had found it was easier, and better, to wake the boy gently. Whenever he yelled or pounded on the door Harry always murmured something about a 'aunt Petunia'. Harry never remembered saying this but Draco thought that this 'aunt' was one of the mysterious relatives that Harry spent his summer this.

Harry didn't react to the his name. Draco shook his shoulder softly. "Come on Harry, time for dinner."

As the boy failed to react once more he grew scared. While it was hard to get Harry to come to meal times and classes the boy always showed some form of disgruntlement at being disturbed. There was no reaction this time. The soft huff of his breathing and his fluttering eyelashes were the only indication that the boy in his arms was alive.

"Harry," Draco called again, voice raising in fear. "Harry, come on, wake up, please?"

The boy was as still as death. His bones stuck out, arms and legs like twigs, cheekbones casting shadows over his face. The dark bags under his eyes was the only colour in his face, the blood drained from his cheeks and lips.

 _When did he get so small?_ Draco wondered distantly.

His hands began to shake as fear came crashing down on him. "Harry," he called. "Harry!" his voice sounded far away even though he was screaming. He shook the boy several harder, Harry's head lolling before coming to a chest on his shoulder. Panicked he began screaming, pleading for Harry to wake up. His cries attracted several other house members and they ran to get Snape.

Draco, unaware of anything but the pale boy in his arms, continued to scream, as though it might change something, as though it might wake the other boy. Some part of his mind, the rational part, told him that screaming wouldn't change anything, that it was fruitless. He couldn't listen to this voice though, because the moment he did he would be forced to face the reality of what was happening.

Harry lay in Draco's arms, looking peaceful and serene, a horrible contrast to the boy holding him, who lay in near tears and hysteria. Harry lay in Draco's arms, already looking of death.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Soooooo, this turned out a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. Here ya guys go, have fun with it. If I remember correctly this is actually my longest chapter yet. Fun (written all in one day by da way, not bragging or anything... (I'm so bragging))

Thanks for the reviews I've been getting. They've been awesome, helping me a lot with the whole everyday update thing ;)

Lemme know what you guys think of Logan and his challenging of the system! I love that kid, even if he is an oc. Lemme know what you think of him in general, I'm curious to see

Oh, also speaking of curiosity I wanna know what the average age and gender people reading this is. I've driven several people off with how depressive this has been and it made me curious, so if you could jus throw out your age and gender (preferred, not biological) in an anonymous review that would be awesome, thanks.

I'll try and update soon, ciao


	23. Aditi

Two weeks...

14 days...

336 hours...

20160 minutes...

1209600 seconds…

It had been two weeks since Harry had fallen into a coma. Two weeks since Draco had found him. Two weeks since anyone has heard his voice. Two weeks and he still hadn't woken up.

It was unclear of what was wrong with him. Madame Pomfrey had ran every test she had known and had researched several more. Everything came back showing he was, physically, fine. Besides being a few pounds underweight he was a physically healthy thirteen year old boy and still he wouldn't wake. Healer June had come in several times and while she had been jittery and shifty she couldn't find a reason why either. Due to Snape's and Madame Pomfrey's combined insistence Harry had been taken off the potion. That yielded no result and still the boy continued to dream.

Severus had been working feverishly to figure out what the potion was, what it did. Since Harry was no longer in need of the potion he had taken the liberty of taking the rest of the vials in the boys room. Every free moment he had was dedicated to revealing the dark secrets of the golden liquid. It was tedious work. More often than not he took meals in his chambers. He had briefly told Remus what he was up to and the wolf had taken to bringing him food whenever he skipped a meal.

Sleep was a commodity he couldn't afford at the time, only sleeping when he could no longer keep his eyes awake and feared ruining his progress. Energy and supplement potions became a daily part of his day.

His classes had become to fear him, even more so than usual, due to his quick and sharp temper. He had no time with their childish issues and squabbles. Teaching become automatic, thoughts still on the potion as he thought of different test to run or combinations to try.

He knew he was wrecking havoc on his body and mind but he couldn't stop, not now, he was so close. It was if there was a clock and time was ticking away. Something had to be done and soon. For if not he feared the child would never wake.

So, on the seventeenth day since Harry had fallen into a coma, when he unlocked the secrets to the potion, found it true purpose, he was elated and devastated at the same time with the realization that everything that he had sacrificed was for naught.

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"Albus!" Severus roared as he swept into the older mans office, not waiting to be summoned. Dumbledore looked up in surprise, never having seen the normally stoic man so emotional. Severus's face was tight, mouth drawn into a deep frown, eyes glinting darkly. His muscles were tight, coiled, as though ready to pounce. When he spoke next his words were soft and deadly, promising of death. "What is the meaning of this?"

Dumbledore felt his heart sink. He didn't know what Severus was talking about but anything that would get this man so impassioned was bad.

"What are you talking about?" Dumbledore asked, afraid of the answer.

Severus snarled, pinning the headmaster with a glare. "The potion,"

All hope that Dumbledore had been harboring vanished with those words. He knew… Severus knew… His mind raced with ways to keep the situation under control. He briefly wondered how Severus had come to know, seeing as him and June hadn't worked together due to Harry falling ill, but pushed that from his mind. He had to deal with the matter at hand.

"What about it?" he asked slowly, trying to find out how much Severus knew. If he didn't know the full ramifications of the potions than something could be salvaged.

Disbelief and fury flamed in Severus's eyes, showing more emotion than he had in years. Angry red blotches appeared on his cheeks and his hair was in disarray, falling from the loose ponytail it had been placed in. "The fact that it's binding the child's magic! What were you thinking!? And now he's going to die!"

Dumbledore sighed, sagging in his chair. For once he felt his age, old and weary. So Severus knew the true purpose of the potion. It was a binder of magical power, to trap and suppress the magic of the user.

Severus, seeming to remember himself, straightened up and cleared all emotion from his face, only his eyes betraying him. He continued in an icy voice. "I've thought many things of you Albus, but never a fool. So tell me, why?"

Deciding Dumbledore had nothing left to lose he gave him the truth, or at least part of it. "It wasn't supposed to kill him. The potion he's currently on is a new one, formulated over the summer. The potion he was on previously was a simple suppressant, one that cause very little harm besides some mild side effects of forgetfulness and apathy. Harry's magic didn't take fondly to it, reacting very different. With concentrated doses of the potion it managed to work, though it made the side effects far worse. At the end of last year he began to grow an immunity to it, thus we needed to create a new potion. It was deemed the best to bind his magic rather than suppress it."

Severus listened carefully. "And why was it necessary to bind the magic of a child?"

Dumbledore frowned. Though he knew this question would be asked it didn't make it any easier to answer. "Harry's magic is…" he paused before settling on, "unique."

"How so?" Severus asked, his arms folded defensively.

Dumbledore steepled his fingers. "It's not the same magic we employ. It's strong, very strong, too strong for a child. Lily first noticed it when she went to get him from his relative's house." he paused once more. "He had complete control over it, wielding it deftly even without the use of a wand. In fact, he fared better without a wand than he did it. Test were done on him and it was discovered that the magic was not entirely his. It comes from an outside source, from where we are unsure. It was too risky to let a child that powerful run around Hogwarts, especially with magic we cannot account for."

"What do you mean he gets his magic from an 'outside' source? That is impossible." Severus sneered. He had never heard anything like Dumbledore was describing. In all of his studies he had never found anything about a wizard being able to wield magic that was not his or magic from an outside source.

"It's exactly as it sounds." Dumbledore said. "I don't how he does it. As far as our test could determine he was getting it from the environment around him."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "That's absurd."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Whether or not that's the case is still unclear. All that is known for sure is that not all of the boy's magic is his and he can wield it proficiently, making him an unknown threat."

While Severus agreed with the headmaster that the boy could become a threat that in no way justified the measures Dumbledore had taken against him and he told the headmaster such. The headmaster at least had the decency to look ashamed as he was told off by his own disciple.

"I know that I acted hastily and didn't look at the full ramifications of my actions," Dumbledore said soberly. "I wish I had taken a different course of action. I had not known that his magic would rebel against the potion as it did. For that I am sorry but I still believe that something must be done about the child."

Severus's eyes flashed as his tongue lashed out. "Because of what you have done nothing else has to be done about the child. I don't know if that sorry excuse of a healer has informed you but due to the boy's magic being bound his body is reacting badly. As you know taking a wizard's magic will have some form of consequence, sometime depression, sometime illness, most of the time suicide due to the pain. The stronger the wizard the stronger the reaction. Harry, being as magically powerful as you say he is, dying."

A sudden smile quirked Severus's lips and a small glint of madness entered his eyes. "But he will not go quietly into the night. The peacefully sleeping child you see now is just the beginning of the storm. Soon his magic will begin fighting against the potion and it's binding. Since the damage is irreversible it will do so to no avail. The entire time Harry will be in unbelievable amounts of pain, worse than any cruciatus, and will last for days, possibly weeks. He will be driven insane by the pain. At this point most people commit suicide. If he manages to get past this stage his body will start to deform, bones breaking, muscles tearing, limbs twisting. At some point his body will become too twisted to survive and he will die but this process can take up to months before the body finally gives up." He suddenly chuckled, a sound bordering on madness, ignoring the tears pricking at his eyes at his own helplessness to prevent any of the form happening. "It's amazing how easily a life can be taken yet how resilient a person can hang on to life as well, even knowing that they're going to die."

He took a deep breath, shutting his face, closing off all emotions and thoughts. If he continued on this train of thought he knew he would drive himself insane. He had seen many horrific things in his life, both as a death eater and a spy, but even the dark lord hadn't been as cruel as to take a wizard's magic. It was one of the most taboo things a person can do. Children were often okay after a few days of pain due to their youth but anyone over the age of ten was marked a dead man. Especially after they had started using their magic, bonding with it. To know the fate that his mentor, his friend, his savior had bestowed upon a child barely thirteen, made the edges of his reality waver, made the ever present abyss hiding deep within his mind grow, drove him closer to the edge of insanity.

He took another deep breath, pushing everything from his mind. Carefully he reconstructed his reality, putting everything where it should go. Everything dealing with the sin Dumbledore had committed was placed behind thick walls were he could view them objectively without feeling their effect, where he could deal with them. Looking up he saw the headmaster watching him closely. Unable to stay in the room with such a monster he left without another word and made his way to Remus's quarters.

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Remus was surprised to Severus, to say the least. Especially since the other man had made it clear to avoid him unless dealing with something pertaining to Harry or Logan. Seeing Severus outside his door in the middle of the night, hair disheveled, mask in place but close to breaking, scared him.

"What happened?" he asked as he opened the door for the other man. Severus walked into his quarters, sneering as he looked about the place but it was a hollow gesture. Remus could see the other mans shaking hands.

After several long moments Severus turned to face him. "It's Harry…" was all he whispered, mask dropping slightly to reveal the pain and helplessness in his eyes. Fear bloomed in his heart at the statement.

"What's wrong? What happened to him?" He demanded. If anything happened to his pups… the thought alone nearly forced him to his knees and made his shoulders shake.

Severus finally took a seat on the couch, practically falling on it rather than the smooth descent he usually made. There were very few times he had seen Severus lose his poise, the man usually shrouding himself within it as an anchor to reality when he couldn't deal with life at the moment, and it scared him to see Severus like this.

"He's dying," Severus said, voice fragile.

Remus's heart stopped at the broken words. "What? You mean… he's never going to wake up?"

Severus suddenly lurch forward, pulling a knee to his chest. It was a defensive position Remus had only seen once before and he hurried over, sitting besides him on the couch. He wanted to pull the man into his arms and hold him close, his arms aching with the need, but knew it would be unwelcome. Rather he placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. Severus leaned towards the palm and took a deep breath, gathering his composure.

"He will wake up, probably soon," Severus said.

Remus heart starting beating again but he was still wary. "Then what?"

There was a long moment of silence. It stretched between the two and was finally shattered by Severus's calm tone. "He's going to scream. And scream. And scream…"

"What's wrong with him?" Remus demanded, feeling as though there was something he did not know.

Severus leaned against him before continuing, their shoulders just barely touching, legs a hairs width away. It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen the other man and it terrified him.

"Dumbledore tried to bind his magic. The potion he's been taking was a magical suppressant. It bound his magic and now his body cannot cope with it."

Remus gave a whine of surprise. He had heard the tales, the horror stories of wizards who have had their magic bound. It was never good, often resulting in death. Those who managed to survive were often driven insane, others carried some form of wound for life. Depending on how powerful the magic was the wizard wouldn't survive, their magic being too much a part of them, and their bodies were twisted until their bodies eventually gave up. But no, that couldn't be what was happening to Harry. He shot Severus a pleading look he didn't see, the other man head ducked and hiding behind the several chunks of hair that had fallen from his ponytail.

"He's still a child, he could still survive?" he finally asked, almost pleading.

Severus mutely shook his head.

Remus couldn't breath. He felt faint. The world was spinning, nothing would keep still. Dumbledore was supposed to be good, a beacon of light. He wasn't supposed to kill children. Severus was supposed to be a stone, a reliable pillar of reality in the face of any adversary. He wasn't supposed to be falling apart. Harry was supposed to be a young child, running around and doing whatever it was that kids did nowadays. He wasn't supposed to be dying. Helplessness and rage washed over him, threatening to drown him. He found himself gasping for breath, nails biting into his palms, drawing blood.

Unable to sit any longer, to be held helpless, he jumped up, jostling Severus. "I'm going to go speak to the headmaster, there must be something he can do." he snarled. Dumbledore had to be able to do something. This whole thing was the bastards fault in the first place.

Welcomed rage drove away his feeling of helplessness. He embraced the hot rush of emotion, not wanting to feel the icy chill of depression or sorrow. He would make the headmaster due something to fix this, to help Harry. He refused to let anymore of his pack die. With a snarl he stormed from the room, Severus never even looking up as the door slammed shut, already having accepted the reality and having fallen into the numb embrace of anguish.

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Luna drifted down the hallways of Hogwarts. Normally she flowed just to flow, to explore and see what she could find. It was peaceful, as most students were always rushing about, getting from one point to another. She could be a paper boat in an ocean, everyone flowing around her, dragging her places. Since she was a paper boat she had to be careful not to drown but otherwise it was fun, exciting even. But today she was not without purpose, there was someone she had to find. A certain dragon who had much to learn.

Her search down her into the library. There her dragon was sitting at one of the tables, looking blankly at a textbook. She frowned, this dragon was far too sad. There bags under his eyes and his pale blonde hair was tangled and unstyled. His cheekbones more prevalent than ever. Didn't he know that everything was going to be okay?"

"Dragon," she said as she sat on the table next to him.

Draco looked up with a glare, though his heart wasn't into it. He recognized the girl as Luna, though many called her Looney. She was one of the few people that Harry hung out with. He thought she was a bit dreamy but otherwise alright. He had no idea what she was doing here though, covering his history homework. He thought about rebuking her for that but was too tired to care. It wasn't like he was going to do it anyways.

"My name's Draco," he replied.

"I know," Luna smiled softly, her blue eyes sparkling with light. "Come along, you have much to learn."

Draco looked at her bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

She held her hand out, looking at him expectantly. He hesitated. He had never actually talked with the girl and he knew close to nothing about her. She could want to kill him for all he knew. Slowly he reached out and took her hand.

A small exclamation of surprise left his lips as he was pulled from his seat and out of the library, the girl being stronger than she looked. His school books were left behind and soon forgotten as they flew from the castle and towards the forbidden was twilight, nearly night, and the dying sun cast the world in a brilliant glow of colours, tinting everything in golden light. The sight was breathtaking.

"Where are we going?" he finally thought to ask.

"You'll see," Luna replied. Her eyes flashed mischievously as she looked back at him. He blinked owlishly, confused but feeling more alive than he had in days.

She led him into the forbidden forest and together they plunged into the dark depths. As they wound their way through the trees he could see glimpses of the creatures that inhabited the forest. Several looked as though they were trying to get a glimpse of them as well. Distantly it occurred to him that he should be afraid, should be protesting going into the forest at night, but bathed in the light of a dying sun and surrounded by its natural inhabitants the forest didn't feel like the scary place it did from the castle. Besides, Harry had taken him into the forest several times last year.

Sorrow dulled the blooming wonder he felt at the reminder of his friend. It had been twenty days since Harry had fallen into a coma and no sign of him waking up. None of the adults knew what was happening to his friend, or if they did they weren't telling him.

"Everything is going to be alright," Luna called over her shoulder, breaking him from his dark thoughts.

"What?" he asked.

Luna stopped, pulling him to a stop as well, and stood to face him. She was shorted than him by a few inches but her eyes looked far older, staring deeply into his. He remembered an old saying his mother used to tell him about how the eyes were windows into the soul and felt very vulnerable under the girls searching gaze, fighting not to tear his eyes away.

"Everything is going to be fine," she finally said, a small smile on her lips. "Things don't seem so great right now but it'll pass. You'll have your Harry back soon." Draco started at her referring to Harry as 'his'. She seemed not to notice, rather tapping her cheek with her finger before continuing. "Well, maybe not the Harry you know now, but he will get better."

"What do you mean?" Draco demanded, wanting to know what she was blabbering on about. "Who told you all of this?"

Luna laughed, throwing back her head. The sound was soft and filled the air around them. She looked at him with a knowing smile. "Everything is going to be fine. I keep telling you, you just need to listen. The stars say so, the wind whispers promises, the forest sings it, even the waves lapping on the shore know it."

Realization dawned on him then. This girl was a seer. True seers were rare, many who claimed to be one were frauds. They were able to see flashes of the future and past, whether they wanted to or not. They were more in tune to nature than most were and claimed that it was nature that gave them the visions. No one knew if this was true or not, seeing as no one could explain even how they were able to see different points of time. The thing about seers though were that they all killed themselves given time. It didn't matter how strong they were mentally the visions eventually got to them. The oldest seer know had survived until the age of fifty-seven.

Draco felt warmed by her words of knowing everything would be alright but saddened by the realization of her fate. He wondered if she knew of it, wondered if she wanted to know of it. How would it be living with the knowledge that you would eventually kill yourself no matter what you did. It was too terrible for him to even comprehend.

Desperate to get away from thoughts of death and suicide he looked around the place they were at. Thick trees were everywhere, looking like giants, so tall he couldn't see where they ended. Blooming flowers decorated the trees and carpeted the floor, standing tall even in the autumn chill. A sudden flurry of leaves caught his attention as a small animal burst from the bushes and scampered to their right.

"I think he wants us to follow him?" Luna said, following the creature.

"Him?" he questioned as he followed close behind, not eager to be lost in the forest.

Their chase came to a quick end. His mouth fell open as he realized where they were. It was the gigantic tree that Harry and him had spent the night in just a few months ago. And sitting on one of the trees giants roots was the same creature that had perched on his chest all night long, smirking at him. He glared at the creature, feeling as though he was being mocked The creature merely leaped from his perch and disappeared into one of the many tunnels the trees roots created.

Luna was quick to follow behind, calling over her shoulder to him. "Looks like they're waiting for us."

"Who's waiting for us?" he asked, getting tired of being left out of the loop. Then again, he guessed this is how most people felt around seers. It was still annoying though.

They traversed the underground labyrinth of the trees roots. Their way was illuminated by blooming fluorescent flowers. Their guide often dashed ahead but always came back, a mocking smile on his face. As Draco delve deeper and deeper into what he could only imagine was the center of the maze, directly underneath the tree, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty around him. The trees roots turned blue by the glimmering light of the pale flowers, the lichen moss that covered everything, the soft blades of grass underneath their feet. It was absolutely gorgeous. He felt at peace for the first time in weeks. It was as though the tree itself was embracing him, filling him with this gentle serenity.

A small smile crept upon his lips as he recalled finding Harry coated in vines and flowers. Was this feeling the reason why Harry came here so often? For the first time in almost three weeks thinking of Harry didn't cause worry and fear to rip through his heart, rather he was warmed by the memory. They would have to come back to this tree sometime soon.

After it had been a while he begun playing with the idea of asking Luna where they were going. While the girl hadn't answered any of his previous questions perhaps she'd answer this one. At the same time didn't some guy once say that insanity was repeating the same thing hoping to get a different result. Seemed like he was caught in a conundrum.

He was still contemplating this dilemma when they stumbled into a clearing. He looked up and froze.

The clearing was magnificent, looking like something from a fairytale. It was the size of a small ballroom, the trees roots acting as pillars and columns. Flowers of every shade, size, and hue bloomed throughout attracting brightly coloured butterflies. Moss hung from several roots surrounded by the flickering glow of firebugs. The grass carpeting the groove was tinged with blue lights that escaped and burst into the air when disturbed. A still, undisturbed pond stood off to the side, reflecting the ceiling, which was dark with small moving lights. With a gasp he realized those lights were fairies, actual fairies. No one had seen, or had been proven to have seen, fairies in centuries. They had disappeared many years ago, having said to be driven away by doers of dark magic, and rumored to be found in places of high magic and beauty.

Now they flitted about the ceiling of the clearing, almost like dancing stars. They were gorgeous with large, luminous wings and pale glowing skin. He watched them, mesmerized by their movements.

A rustling came from his right and he tore his attention away from the fairies only to find several centaurs regarding him curiously. It wasn't a secret that centaurs roamed the forest but what were they doing here? In the clearing? They prefered to be outside, underneath the stars.

Looking around once more he was surprised to see many magical creatures hiding among the trees roots, the moss, and in the flowers. There were snifflers, fairies, hippogriffs, pixies, threshals, brownies, unicorns, and many others he could not name. They moved throughout the clearing gracefully, some interacting, some playing, some napping. He had never seen this many magical creatures in his life, much less in a single place.

"You've brought him," a soft voice sung. "The star child."

Draco whirled around to him the owner of the voice. At his side Luna turned to a divine being whose movements and voice were like that of a song. The being looked neither male or female, with hair darker than any night and sharp features that make their pupil less eyes appear to cover their face. Their skin was a soft green with spirals of blacks covering every inch of skin in sight, racing underneath the gentle blue robes they wore. Two dark horns, like that of a rams, spiraled from the dark hair and framed the thin face. He tried to place the name of the creature before him but could not. He had never even heard of anything like this.

Luna gave a slight curtsey to the being. "Did I not tell you I would?" she laughed and Draco was entranced as the being joined in, the sound sweeter than anything he had ever heard.

The being glided forward until they were before him. His breath caught at being so close to something so beautiful. The being reached a hand out, long fingers caressing his cheek and he was filled with peace. "Come star child. There is one who wants very much to meet you,"

Unable to resist he nodded, allowing the being to lead him. He was faintly aware of Luna skipping off to some part of the clearing but his attention was locked on the being before him. They came to a stop at the edge of the clearing, standing before a natural opening in the roots, the opening being hidden by a flowing curtain which seemed to be made of spiderwebs.

The being held the curtain aside for him, gesturing for him to answer. After a moment of hesitation he did so, ducking slightly as to not hit his head. The being did not follow him, rather letting the curtain swing close. A pang of sorrow filled him at the departure of the being but shook his head at the ridiculousness at that.

Gathering his wits about him he started forward into the dark. Without warning flames roared to life, casting their reddish-orange light throughout. He was surprised to find himself in a small cavern made of roots and moss. Before him appeared to be some form of nest, with swathes of cloth, flowers, blankets, leaves, and a lone stuffed rabbit. A tiny figure was burrowed into the nest, a soft down of white feathers hiding them from view.

He bit his lip, wondering what to do. No one had told him why he was here and what he was doing. As magical as this all was he kind of wanted to return home, to the castle. He had enough confusion for one day. As he had made up his mind and turned to leave the small figure moved, sitting with a loud yawn.

Shock filled him as the figure was revealed. It appeared to be a small girl, four at the most. The feathers that had been covering her were actually wings that were now splayed on either side of her. She was darkly tanned, contrasting oddly with the white wings, with the large yellow eyes of a dragon, her pupils slitted. Her hair was white and fluffed about her, long enough to pool on the ground. Small bits of twigs and leaves were caught within the white strands but it wasn't dirty. Small little nubs rested on her forehead, like the start of horns. Her nose was small and button-like, mouth a seashell pink filled with sharp pearly teeth and the tongue of a snake. Talons stood at the end of her tiny hands, sharp enough to kill. As she shifted around, stretching after her nap, he say that she had a tail, white like the rest of her and soft with long strands of hair.

When she was done stretching she looked up at him, a smile on her lips. "Hello starchild," her words were a coo. "Sit,"

With wooden movements he took a seat, unable to tear his gaze away from the girl. He realized she wore no clothing, rather a fine dusting of feathers covered her, some even winding from her neck to her small cheeks.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked. For one so small she spoke well. He could not place her accent, the lilting and falling tones like nothing he had ever heard before. Underneath the soft coo of her words was a deeper tone, like a growl, and it rumbled softly, melding into the coo almost seamlessly.

Realizing he had been asked a question he shook his head, unsure if he could speak. The girl giggled. "Luna's always been bad at explaining things to people. She sometimes forgets they don't know all she does."

He finally found his voice as she mentioned Luna. "You know Luna?"

The girls nodded. "Of course I do. All seers know of me and many come to me."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"I'll explain some other time," the girl said. He opened his mouth the protest but she was quicker. "I hear that your broken dove has fallen ill."

"Broken dove…?" Draco questioned. "Wait, do you mean Harry? How do you know about him?"

She nodded. "He's come to this tree many times seeking peace and solace. His magic is drawn to this place. I knew he was ill, he has been for a long time. I am saddened that he has gotten so bad. I would have sent for you earlier but the castle wards against my magic and has kept the boy's condition from me. I only recently found out when this darling came forth."

Draco look to see a small snake by her side. "Toyotama-hime…" he intoned. With everything that was going on he had barely noticed the disappearance of the snake.

"She's a smart snake and is very protective over her chosen companion," the girl said as she ran her fingers over the flickering blue scales. "As soon as I heard the news I sent Luna to come get you. It's time for you to learn."

"Learn what?" Draco asked, eyes still on the snake. He didn't know what was happening or if it was even good. He was confused and fear was starting to eat away at him.

Suddenly the girl rose and plopped herself down in his lap, small arms winding around his neck. He froze, eyes wide. She pressed her head to his chest, murmuring, "Don't fret starchild,". He was surprised at the calm that flowed through him and looked down at the girl, deeming that it must be her doing.

"What is it I have to learn?" he asked, farm more calmly this time.

She smiled up at him, eyes old and knowing even though she looked so young. "There is much you have to learn but I shall tell you the basics for now. To do so we'll have to start at the beginning.

"Long ago, magic roamed wild and all things living were infused with it. There was no thing that didn't have at least some form of magical properties. To this day all things of nature are infused with a bit of magic. When man came along they were given magic as well. The magic enable them to do great and wondrous things. They were enthralled by it, wanting to possess it as theirs. They couldn't understand that magic belonged to all, that it flowed through all. They were greedy.

"One day a man discovered how to capture magic, break it and make it his own. He taught others how to do this and soon they were able to force the magic to do their bidding. These were the beginnings of the first wizards. As time passed the breaking of making and forcing it to serve became commonplace. So common child began to do it without realizing it.

"The common misconception is that magic comes from within. That is not the case, magic originates outside the body, flowing through all things. It can still be used but it's harder to wield, unable to have the precision that wizards craved. The magic rebelled though, hating being chained to just one person, unable to flow free. Wands were created to have greater control over the magic. By having parts of free magic, sources such as unicorn hair or dragon heartstring, they were able to trap even more magic. Over time the act of letting magic flow free became alien. Today it no longer exists."

Draco interrupted her, confused. "Wait? How does a wizard break magic? How come a child can do it? How can one use magic without breaking it?"

"A wizard breaks magic by taking that which is flowing through him and entrapping it. Over time it will break from the magic of nature. There are certain rituals and places that can be done to achieve even more magic. As for the children. You see, the birth of anything is a beautiful thing and magic rejoices at it, often helping the mother and child if possible. Children, in their innocence, draw magic to them. Breaking magic is relatively easy and many children do so without realizing it, especially those in wizarding families who only see magic as being bound. That's why there are muggleborns, those who trapped magic. Muggle are those who have set magic free. In younger days the magic would have returned to those beings but it has grown wary and scared, now staying away once it's been given away. It always easier to take something rather than to give it away with only the hope it will return and once trust is broken it's very hard to gain back.

"Unbroken magic is very powerful but unrefined. It won't turn a pincushion into a desk or charm someone to sing show tunes all day. Rather, it interacts with the magic of other things and changes it if it sees fit. It can be destructive or construction, death or life, light or dark.

"In fact," she paused. "Last year, when your broken dove had found Luna she was dead, having been killed by the basilisk. He called out to the wild magic, giving his own suffering, fear, and grief as an offering to have her healed. The magic deemed her worthy and brought her back. It helped that she was already pure of heart and had no broken magic inside of her. Wild magic will never help those who have broken magic residing within them."

"So, Harry… he can use this magic?" Draco asked, trying to wrap his head around the concept.

She gave a mysterious smile. "Not quite, your broken dove is quite an unique case. As a child he had his magic forcibly taken from him. While it hurt him it didn't kill him, he probably doesn't even remembering this transpiring. A few years later something happened, I don't know what, and he was horribly injured. He called out to the wild magic of the earth, offering up his own innocence. The magic that responded took the child and healed him. What's so interesting is while most wizards rely on their magic your broken dove's magic relies on him. It uses him as a conduit to change the world around him. It's a very odd bond. I've never seen anything like it. And that's why trying to bind his magic is now killing him."

"What?" Draco nearly screamed as the words came crashing down on his ears, freezing his blood. "He's in a coma, he's not going to die!" He couldn't believe, he didn't want to believe it. Everyone had said Harry would be fine once he woke up. He had to be fine, he just had to. He was one of Draco's best friends. Just thinking about Hogwarts without Harry made him cold, sorrow sweeping through him.

The girl looked very sad just then. She gently placed a hand on his cheek until he looked to her. "I'm sorry dear. They never tell those most affected, especially children. But fret you not, everything will be fine."

"How?" Draco asked, chest tight. "He's...dying..." the word was hard to say and came out in a broken whisper.

"But you can save him," the girl replied, her smile returning. "You, starchild, are very special yourself. The magic you hold within you is free, not broken. It had chosen you to do great things. Whether they be good or bad is up to you."

"What are you talking about?" he whispered, closing his eyes in confusion. His head hurt, there was so much going on, so much he didn't know. He was being forced to relearn everything he had once known about magic.

The girl, perhaps sensing his confusion, ran her small hands through his hair, gently untangling it. The gesture gave him some comfort. She seemed pleased with this and continued. "Every so often one is born who the magic not only flows through but embraces. They are very powerful and act as catalyst upon this world. You, starchild, are one of these beings. The magic you possess can bring about a new world or be the end of one."

Draco was shellshocked, at a lost for words. "W-what?" he finally managed to get out.

"I know it's a lot to take in," the girl murmured. "I'll explain more to you later but right now you've got a broken dove to save."

"How am I supposed to do that?" he asked, not trusting the flickering hope in his chest that Harry might be alright.

The girl clambered to her feet. "Close your eyes," she commanded. As he did so she leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead, her thumbs brushing over his eyelids, the sharp talons grazing his skin softly. "And see." she murmured.

He opened his eyes and gasped. The world was alight with colours. The girl before him was a violent explosion of the rainbow, colours of every shade and hue dancing about her. The walls of the cavern were intertwined with flickering strands of blue. Everything had a small coloured light about them that seemed to be part their essence.

"What is this?" he asked, unable to stop staring.

The girl twirled, the colours leaping around her, alighting her skin. "Magic," she laughed, throwing her head back in delight. "What you're seeing is the magic that flows through everything and bonds life together. Every living creature has some little bit of magic within."

Draco looked around, blinking experimentally, waiting for the coloured lights to fade but they never did. "How long will this last?"

The girl came to stop before Draco once more, eyes shimmering like coals. "Once you have seen you cannot unsee."

"You mean I'm stuck like this forever?" he tried to sound agitated but the experience was still too new and he was still too awed for his words to have any bite.

"You'll get used to it," the girl reassured. "It'll just take some time. I'll teach you how to work with it."

Draco frowned, wondering just how many things she was going to teach him and where they would find the time for these 'lessons'. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and refocused on Harry. "How is this supposed to help Harry?"

"Now that you can see the magical bonds you can see where your broken dove's is injured. His magic is bound you just need to unbind it." she said as though it was common sense.

"How do I unbind it?" Draco asked. Fear filled him at the thought that he might be the only one who can help Harry and be unable to do it. Or what if he messed up? What if his friend died because of his?"

The girl grabbed Draco's face, forcing his eyes to hers. "Stop worrying. Nothing will be done if you are left in anguish. Your magic will know what to do, trust in it and it will help you. Your broken dove needs your help, don't let him down due to fear."

His muscles slowly relaxed at her soothing words, his gaze lost in her hypnotic eyes. He gave a small nod of understanding. Everything would be alright.

The girl smiled and gave him another kiss on the forehead before bidding him farewell, the dismissal obvious. He was nearly out of the cavern when something struck him. He quickly turned back around.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Brittany," the girl said, eyes old and serious.

Draco's mouth fell open and he stumbled, though he was standing still. "W-what?" there was no way this child with eyes older than time was named Brittany, it just couldn't be.

The girl broke out in giggles, tears of mirth clinging from her eyelashes as her hands tried to smother her snickering. "I'm just kidding," she finally managed to say. "You should have seen your face though!

"I don't have a real name but you may call me Aditi,"

"Aditi," he repeated. The word felt soothing on his tongue and rolled off easily. He nodded. "Thank you Aditi," he said trying out the new name. One more question popped into his head. "Who are you?"

"That, starchild, is a question for next time. I shall be seeing you soon." she smiled knowingly. "Now go save your broken dove."

Luna was waiting for him when he left the cavern and they begin their way back to the school, filled with purpose. They were about halfway there when he realized he had forgotten to ask why Aditi had referred to him as starchild. Brushing off the mystery he quickened his stride, eager to help Harry.

So caught up was he in his determination that he failed to notice the eerie looking cat thing that had been their guide following them until Luna pointed him out. Having been noticed the feline stopped hiding and strode arrogantly besides them. He ignored the smug feline for the time being and was glad to see that the castle was in view.

Luna bid him farewell at the entrance, wishing him luck. The feline stayed with him though, keeping at his heels as he raced to the hospital wing. A feeling of urgency filled with him and the wind in his ears seemed to whisper _faster faster faster._ The magic binding Hogwarts, dark and ugly, blurred past him. Thankfully he met no students and was at the hospital wing within minutes.

Out of breath he pushed open the door only to be met by blood curdling screams.

He froze as he saw his friend, tensed in pain, screaming and thrashing violently in the bed. There were restraints on his wrist and ankles, the skin already having been rubbed raw and slick with blood. Draco felt sick at the sight, the screams sounding near to insanity.

He could see the broken magic, an ugly gray, in the restraints and weaving throughout Harry. There were small glimmers of a green every now and then, struggling against the gray. Unsure of what he was doing but knowing he had to do something he rushed over to his friend. Faintly he could hear Madame Pomfrey behind him, yelling something that was drowned out by Harry's screams.

Harry's back was arched, his hands and feet were the only points connecting him to the mattress. He was covered in sweat and blood, several deep gashes on his face and arms that seemed to have been made by his nails. The screams that tore from his lips were gruttal and terrible, sounding more akin to that of a wild animal than a human.

Draco stood by his side, shaking. He didn't know what to do, what he could do. He was terrified. Everything Aditi had told him fled through his mind as a blanket of fear smothered his thoughts. What could he do? He was just a child. Surely there was someone, anyone, more qualified than he was to help Harry.

A rough hand grabbed his shoulder, spinning him round till he was face to face with a red faced Madame Pomfrey. She was saying something, looking very crossed, but he couldn't hear hear past Harry's screams and the blood rushing in his ears. Her hand tugged at his shoulder, as though trying to pull him away, out of the hospital wing. Realizing her intent he pulled away and ran to the other side of Harry, placing the bed between him and her. There was a sudden moment of clarity as he realized what would happen. This was the last time he would ever see Harry, they would take him away. He didn't know why but the tingling in his magic let him know it was true. If he was to save Harry it was now or never.

Pushing all of his fears away he faced Harry. The boy was still screaming, the green magic within him struggling, fighting against the gray, and loosing. Reaching out he grabbed Harry's face, his hands becoming slick with blood and sweat. Not quite knowing what he was doing he tried to feel his friends magic, trying to find a binding. At first nothing happened, then a small feeling entered his mind, guiding him. Slowly, cautiously, he navigated the thread of broken magic, the rest of the world falling away as he did so. Finally he came to a rest at a large block of gray. It was dark and fearsome, lashing out at all that came near, smothering the green it held. Unsure but determined he set his jaw and closed his eyes. Distantly he could feel hands at his shoulders, trying to drag him away but he held fast, refusing to budge. He tried to call upon his magic, feeling silly as he did so, but didn't let that deter him. A small tendril of magic rose within him and he could feel it travel through him and into Harry. Slowly more and more magic joined until it was a waterfall, rushing into the screaming boy. The magic intertwined with the fading green, reinvigorating it. It rushed throughout, abolishing all gray in its path. When it reached the knot of gray it paused for only a moment before spilling forth. The gray fought back as it was surrounded. Like a wounded animal it tore, clawed, and snarled. The magic refused to be beaten though and soon the gray was overcome, shattering into fragments too small to see.

Draco was thrown back into his body, eyes opening as he fell back. He hadn't realized that he had lost sense of himself until now. He had become one with the magic and had lost everything else. Now, being back in a human body, was disorientating. The world was too bright, the silence too loud.

The screaming, it had stopped.

Draco surged to his feet, stumbling as he ran to Harry, catching himself on the bed. Harry was motionless. Fear invaded him at the thought that he had done something wrong, that he had messed up.

"Harry!" he screamed. No, Harry had to wake up, he had to this time. He repeated the boy's name several more times. On the third time Harry stirred, face scrunching in irritation.

He fell silent in anticipation, daring not even to breath. Seconds ticked back, each feeling like hours. Finally Harry's face relaxed and bright green eyes were revealed as black lashes fluttered open. For the first time in years Harry was truly awake.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Holy fuuuuuuuukkkk! This was a hell of a lot longer than it was supposed to be (which is my excuse for not updating yesterday) I mean, 8,000+ freaking words! I am dying.

Alright, so review and whatnot. Lemme know what you guys think about the magic thing. I'm curious. Also, thought on Aditi? (She wasn't originally supposed to be a thing, she came about while writing and she's the reason why this is so long.) Thanks for reading. I'll post soon. Ciao


	24. Awake and Alive

Logan made his way through the hallways, slipping in and out of the shadows the moonlight cast. It was deserted, everyone having already gone to bed. Every so often he would pass a teacher patrolling but managed to hide from them easily, years of having been a prankster having prepared him well. So like a ghost in the night he made his way towards the hospital wing.

After Harry had woken up in pain, roughly three days ago, Madame Pomfrey had locked everyone out, refusing to let anyone see him. He had been there when Harry had started screaming, had been there when he deathly still brother had burst into life with a blood curdling scream. Logan had tried to calm him but the boy couldn't be soothed. Harry wept, begged, pleaded, and screamed and screamed and screamed. The screaming was one that would haunt his nightmares for years.

Shortly after the screaming had began Harry had been clawing at his face and neck, leaving long bloodied tears across his skin. Terrified Logan had began calling for help, trying to restrain his brother. That had only resulted in several scratch marks on his cheek and a bitten hand. Madame Pomfrey had come shortly after and put restraints on Harry. The she promptly shooed him from the hospital wing and he hadn't been allowed back. A silencing ward had been cast over the place to make sure no one heard Harry's screams.

Infuriated he had gone to Remus and Snape, demanding to know what was happening to Harry. Remus had took to shaking like a leaf and every time he tried to talk it came out as a choked sob. Snape had saved his uncle, explaining in calm and emotionless tones that Harry was to die. Harry's magic had been bound by the potion he was taking and the physical repercussions of that would kill him.

He had raged. Called them liars. Threatened them with magic. Snape's office had been turned into a warzone, books and potion ingredients destroyed and smashed, covering the walls and floors. Remus had muttered broken apologies, staring at the ground like a broken doll. Snape had watched the destruction of his office with emotionless eyes, not once protesting. When he had worn himself out, when there was no more rage, he had collapsed into tears. Remus had scooped him up in his arms and he was glad for the comfort. Together they had cried while Snape had began placing his office back in order.

Since then he had been at the hospital wings doors every morning and evening but Madame Pomfrey always denied him, saying that it was the headmaster's orders. He had been forced to get any information about Harry from Snape and Remus, who received daily reports.

And that led him to now, sneaking through the dark halls of Hogwarts in the middle of the night, because damn anyone who tried to keep him from seeing his brother. His brother was dying and he wasn't about to let Harry be alone in his final days. No matter what he was going to be there Harry.

He was surprised to find the hospital wing door ajar. Harry's screams were just as painful as they had been before, echoing throughout the empty hall. With a deep breath he slowly pushed the door open, only to be floored by the scene that met him.

Draco was hunched over Harry, cradling Harry's face in his hands. His eyes were closed, body unnaturally still. Harry was still screaming, the sound steadily intensifying. Madame Pomfrey was yelling something, unheard over Harry's screams, and trying to pull Draco away from Harry. Draco refused to budge, not even acknowledging her existence.

As he watched from the doorway a small light began emanating from Draco's hands. It grew brighter as Harry's screams rose. Soon the entire hospital wing was filled with the blinding light, forcing Logan to shield his eyes. Harry's screams reached a fever pitch, unable to physically grow any louder. It lasted for only a moment before everything collapsed.

Shadows and silence swept through the hospital wing as Draco was thrown. Harry fell onto the bed, completely silent. Madame Pomfrey was silent as well, looking shocked and confused. Draco surged to his feet and over to Harry, shattering the silence as he began to scream his name.

The noise forced Logan into motion and he began running towards the two. Madame Pomfrey stood, dazed, not even protesting as Logan ran over to Harry. Draco was still screaming Harry's name, nearly pleading.

He reached the two just in time just in time to see Harry's eyes flash open before he was thrown back. His head hit the floor with a sickening crack and stars blossomed before his eyes. Gingerly he sat up, wincing in pain, only to freeze.

Harry was standing now, green eyes a flame. Jade magic swirled around him, grabbing everything in sight and flinging it. Vials shatters, beds thrown, sheets shredded by the magic surrounding Harry. It roared and snarled, attacking everything near. Madame Pomfrey had been driven back, several claw marks down her arm, her eyes wide with fright. Everything around Harry was slowly being destroyed, torn, and ruined. The only one safe was Draco, who was staring at Harry in relieved fear.

There was a sudden screaming of glass as the windows shattered. Logan watched in awe as large vines began to snake their way into the hospital wing, covering everything. As they invaded he was forced to throw himself to the side to avoid being crushed by a particularly large vine. Stumbling back to his feet he checked for anymore perceived enemies. Spotting none he looked back to his brother and was struck still by the sight.

Several of the vines had torn the entire window wall apart, the bricks and rubble being covered. Vines swarmed throughout the hospital wing, leaving a small clearing where Harry and Draco resided. The sun was just barely rising and the light spilled into the room, illuminating Harry from the behind, surrounding him with a halo of light. Harry's eyes were glowing as magic revolved around him, his hair whipping in the magical wind. Power and strength radiated from his small form.

Logan watched in awe at the beautiful destruction as nature reclaimed the hospital wing, Harry at the center of the storm.

A loud crash behind him forced him to look away from Harry. In the doorway was Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Remus. The first two had their wands out, the latter looking unsure. Dumbledore shot the first spell but it was easily lost in the magic surrounding Harry. From there Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore began firing more spells. Terrified for his brother he began to run towards Harry.

His progress was impeded by the vines and debri flying through the air. The closer he got to Harry the worse it was. Even though he had his arms in front of his face he still got nicked several times, a rather large gash opening on his cheek as he was hit by a large shard of glass. Vines withered and danced, threatening to trip him, nearly sending him sprawling twice.

As he drew closer he began calling his brothers name. "Harry!"

The boy didn't react to his name, intent on the destruction he was creating. Logan pushed onwards, each step a struggle, yelling Harry's name. The magic was trying to push him away, sliding him back several inches for every step he took, but he pushed on, refusing to give up. A glance back let him know that there had been a cease fire on the spells, presumably because he was too close to Harry to ensure that he wouldn't be hit.

He continued you forward, regardless of the blood on his face, regardless of the vines underneath his feet, regardless of the magic trying to rip him to shreds. His hair whipped violently, forcing him to squint. Every time he tried to yell Harry's name the word was ripped from his mouth. Yet he trudged forward and came to find himself only a few feet from Harry. With a surge of strength he leapt forth, grabbing onto his brother.

"Harry!" he screamed, once more. Harry tensed at the touch and name. His vivid green eyes turned onto Logan, promising pain. Logan stared back, jaw set, eyes determined. Recognition slowly filtered into those green eyes, face softening. Logan gave a tentative smile, raising a hand to sooth Harry's hair from his face.

The magical storm, which had been slowly lessening, collapsed as Harry fell into Logan's arms. Logan sank with his brother onto the ground, pulling Harry into his lap. Harry clung to him like a child, tears streaking down his face.

"What's going on?" Harry sobbed, fingers gripping at Logan's jumper. "Why can't I remember anything? What's happening?"

Logan laid his cheek on Harry's dark hair, running his hand over the shaking childs back, murmuring soft words of comfort. "Everything's going to be okay now, I'm here, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

Harry's sobs and begging words slowly tapered off into silent tears as Logan held him, murmuring gentle promises the entire time. Several of the teachers tried to come closer but Logan shot them dark glares as he shielded his brother, promising pain if they dared come any closer. They backed off, Remus the closet about ten feet away, practically whimpering with the need to protect his pup.

When Harry had run out of tears he slumped bonelessly against his brother, keeping a tight grip on his jumper. Logan pulled away slightly so he could see his brothers face smushed against his chest, smiling at the sight.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Harry took a moment to answer, searching for the right words. "Lost, confused, hollow… I don't know what going on."

Logan felt his heart restrict at the scared words. He held Harry tighter. "Everything's going to be. I'll explain everything to you soon."

Harry nodded numbly against his shirt, eyes wide but unseeing.

"Is he alright?" Remus asked, unable to stay silent anymore. "What happened?"

The words seemed to activate Madame Pomfrey, who had been standing off to the side, staring at nothing as though trying to understand what had happened. She began to bustle over. "He needs to be tested, make sure everything is okay. I dunno what Mister Malfoy did to the child but it seems to have unbound his magic in any case and if thats's-" she broke off as Draco suddenly rose on shaking feet, standing between her and the two brother.

The whole time Madame Pomfrey had been prattling she had been hurrying over to the pair. Harry had watched her fearfully, eyes filled with mistrust. His magic had began thrumming to life, drawn by the boys terror. Draco, seeing the rise of the chaotic magic and sensing his friends fear, had put himself between Harry and Madame Pomfrey, intent on protecting his friend.

"Mister Malfoy?" Madame Pomfrey asked, face drawn in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Draco, unable to find words, still shaken by what had just happened, shook his head, a deep frown etched on his lips.

Dumbledore, wanting to get a hold on the situation, came forth, standing near Poppy. "My dear boy, what's going on, is everything alright? We simply need to make sure your friend is alright. It seems like he's been through a lot."

Remus, upon seeing Dumbledore walk nearer to his pup, stood in front of Malfoy, the boy looking up in shock. He had never thought he would ever join forces with a Malfoy but the boy had shown nothing but care and concern for his pup and he was determined to protect all of them.

"You're not coming any closer to Harry," Remus growled, teeth bared.

Severus, who had been watching the spectacular silently, decided to step in. "I would suggest you should take a few steps back. Remus tends to be very protective over his… family." the word 'pack' hung implied in the air, though of course he couldn't say it with Draco around, the boy still unaware of his Defense Teachers furry little secret.

Dumbledore hesitating before taking a careful step back. "I mean no harm. I just desire to make sure the boy is alright."

Remus gave a bark of laughter and not even Severus could hide his sneer at the statement. Even now of all times the old man was trying to paint himself as the savior of the light, protector of the innocent.

Draco was unsure of what was happening, all he knew was that he had to protect Harry. It was difficult though, even to keep standing. He was unsteady from the burst of magic he had experienced and the healing magic that he had somehow used to heal Harry. On top of that he could still the bright colours of everyone's magic. Dumbledore's was dark as sin, thoroughly having been beaten into submission, Professor McGonagall's a bruised purple, Madame Pomfrey's was healing yellow with dark blotches of brown, even Logan's was a rusty red. All of them bound. He was surprised by Severus's, a blood red as though the magic was still fighting, still partially free and Professor Lupin's, which seemed to have two shades that intertwined, the dark shade of the night and the light shade of the moon. Only Harry's magic was free, a green the colour of new leaves that swirled lazily around, frolicking among the vines, not tied to Harry but still sticking by him.

Shaking his head in an attempts to clear it he refocused on what was happening. They were discussing about what to do with Harry, the boy still cradled in his brother's arms. Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Madame Pomfrey wanted to run some test to make sure he was alright, Remus was very much against that idea, hackles rising every time someone even took a step closer to Harry. Severus was standing off to the side offering snide comments every now and again. Tensions were growing and soon shouts were being exchanged. Harry's magic was tightening around him as he glowered at the adults from the safety of his brother's embrace.

Feeling Harry tense Logan decided to speak up. "How about we go somewhere Harry feels a bit safer and where there's not as much debri around? We'll take an adult that Harry chooses and trust to run the test and if he is in need of any medical help we shall discuss our options then."

The five adults stared at the teen, at least three looking determined not to follow the suggestions of a teen.

"I agree with the boy," Snape spoke up. "It would be for the best that Harry is relocated somewhere he feels safe and the hospital wing needs to closed off and repaired."

Remus threw his support in with Severus. The other three professors glanced at each other before nodding their consent, not happy about it but recognizing the validity of the plan.

Logan turned to Harry. "Where would you feel safest for a medical examination and who would you like to come?"

Harry didn't look away from the teachers to answer his brother. "I want to go back to my room. Snape and Lupin may come. Everyone else is to stay here or somewhere far away from the dungeons." The last line was directed pointedly towards the headmaster who humbly bowed his head in agreement. Those his words were raspy due to the non stop screaming he had endured for the past several days his words carried an air of authority.

Snape seemed shock to have his name included but nodded in agreement taking several steps forward till he was standing parallel with the wolf.

Harry hurried to his feet, followed by Logan. He reached out and gently grasped Draco's shoulder, who was still standing at the ready to protect them. Draco turned around and Harry gave him a small smile which was returned. Harry stood strong and didn't falter as he strode from the hospital wing. Draco and Logan on the other hand stumbled over the vines and had to hurry to catch up to Harry. Snape and Remus were the last to leave, making sure the other three professors didn't try anything underhanded.

Once out of the hospital wing Remus hurried to walk near his pup while Snape stood at the rear, keeping a careful eye on his godson who seemed unsteady on his feet. Harry's strong facade fell once the were in the hallways, his shoulders drooping, eyes falling to the ground.

He was confused and lost, his memories just a jumble of bits of pieces, entire weeks of time missing. Plus there were memories he didn't remember having before and he couldn't tell what memories happened when and everything was just so chaotic. Even though he wasn't tired he still wanted nothing more than to hide in his nest and shut out the rest of the world. Now that everything wasn't muted by the potion his emotions felt too sharp and thoughts too loud. It had barely been two hours yet his head was pounding.

Lost in his confusion he stumbled, hands shooting out to catch him. Remus deftly grabbed the youth. At the touch Harry screamed hoarsely, magic rose to protect him and Remus was sent into the far wall, hitting his back painfully.

"Don't touch me!" Harry rasped harshly. His pupils were dilated in fear, darting back and forth like a trapped animal, chest heaving, magic wound around him like a snake ready to spring.

Remus held up his hands, lowering his head in submission. After several terse moments Harry closed his eyes, head falling forward. He didn't know how to describe the fear and panic that had raced through him when Remus had touched him. The irrational phobia that something bad would come of the touch. He didn't know why though, his memories too disjointed and confusing for him to make sense of his reaction.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Just don't touch me."

Remus gave a sad smile and nodded. "Of course Harry, I'm sorry."

Harry shook his head roughly and began walking again, eager to get back to his room, wanting to be away from all of this.

***************  
VvvvvvvvvvV

A few minutes later found the small group in Harry's room. Draco had collapsed on Harry's bed and, while he hadn't meant to, fallen asleep. Harry had subjegated himself to Snape's testing after making it clear the man would not touch him in any way, fashion, or form. With the threat of Harry's magic prickling under his skin Snape had performed the tests, finding Harry to be fine.

"Besides being a bit on the malnourished side and your vocal cords tattered you're perfectly healthy." Snape revealed. "You magic is still a mystery, different from any other I've seen before, but it doesn't seem detrimental. Your body seems to have completely healed from the backlash of your magic being bound." Snape paused. "How did you magic become unbound?" That was a complete mystery. Once a wizard's magic was completely bound it could not be unbinded. Harry should be dead, or at least screaming in agony, not up and about looking relatively alright.

Harry gave a sullen shrug. He was perched on the bed, close to Draco as though protecting the blond. His thin arms held his legs to his chest, head resting on his knees. Logan was standing near the bed, Remus on the opposite side of the room near Snape, the wolf having fallen silent since being rebuked for touching the child.

"I dunno," the boy rasped. "I can't remember much. There was a lot of pain… I think Logan was there at some point… so was the headmaster… finally Draco was there. He grabbed my face and it hurt even worse than before… which I didn't think was possible. I was screaming and I knew that I was going to die then… it all stopped. Next thing I remember was Draco standing over me, calling my name."

Severus nodded. So the headmaster had visited Harry while he was in the hospital wing. He wondered what for. He tucked the information in the back of his head, still having to deal with the headmaster later.

"How's your memory?" Severus asked. He was unsure of what damaged the potion could have caused to the youths brain and hoped it was nothing too extensive.

Harry tensed, eyes turning to glare at him, confirming his fears. "What about it?"

"I'm simply trying to help," Severus said, keeping all emotion from his voice and face. Slowly the boy relaxed, his eyes never leaving Severus's. After five minutes the boy finally spoke.

"I can't remember much…" the words were raspy and difficult to hear though the room stood silent. Harry, unable to continue while looking at the man, diverted his gaze to Draco, reaching a hand out to play with the boys soft blond hair. Draco stirred and burrowed further into the pillow, blissfully dead to the world.

Drawing in a deep breath he continued, very aware of the three pairs of eyes on him. "What I do remember is confusing. There's entire weeks of memories missing. The things I do remember are disjointed and it is hard to tell when they occurred. I know that the Hogwarts stuff happened sometime within the last three years but anything before that… it's like time isn't a real thing. I could be ten or five. It's hard to tell. And a lot of the memories make no sense." He gave another shrug, unsure of what else to say.

The bed dipped as Logan sat on the bed next to him. Emotions in a jumble and nerves frayed he allowed himself to be pulled into his brother's arms, fingers still entwined in Draco's hair.

Remus watched his pup, pain clawing at his heart as he knew there was nothing he could do, not even hold him. He wondered what had happened to make Harry react so badly to touch, wondered if he wanted to know. So far only Logan and Draco had been allowed to touch Harry. He had dealt with neglected children before, having experienced it himself as a child, and even some abused children on his travels, often acting as a mentor and helping them get away from the hostile environment, but never had a child reacted so negatively to touch as Harry had. It scared him. What had happened to the boy? From what Logan and Severus suspected the Dursley's hadn't treated him well but how bad was it. Harry had only shown sign of neglect but his reaction wasn't just the product of some neglect. So that raised the question; what had happened in that house? What had Harry endured to make him like this? And if there were several chunks of his memory missing then could there be even worse things the boy couldn't even remember?

Remus was scared by the implications and wondered why Lily had sent her son to the Dursley's instead of raising him herself. He would have to have a talk with Lily soon it seemed.

Severus nodded, a look of thoughtfulness on his face. It seemed as though the potion had wrecked havoc on the boy's memories, which would make it confusing for the boy. There wasn't much anyone on the grounds could do, as wizards didn't look very much into matters of the human mind, believing that magic was superior to all. He had studied psychology extensively while with Imogen Mirren, his potions master. She had thought the subject to be important as much of potions had to do with changing a person's mind, influencing it in subtle ways. Perhaps he could help the boy in some way.

Hoping he wouldn't come to regret his next words he spoke. "I might be able to help if you wish. I have studied the human mind and psychology extensively and know the art of legilimency and occlumency. If you so desired we could work out a form of therapy to help with you memory loss and dealing with the memories you currently have, trying to make sense of them."

Harry narrowed his eyes in thought. The professors offer came as a surprise. He didn't know if he should take it though. There were a lot of memories floating around in his head that he hadn't the chance to look at which scared him, dark memories bleeding red promising pain and despair. Plus with all the missing memories there could be far darker ones lurking in his mind. Could he really trust the potions master? A man whom he only allowed to be here because he had never done anything to actively hurt him? But at the same time he didn't want to continue like this, lost in a flood of memories where time was awash. Snape was offering to help him navigate the memories, make sense of them. Could he really just pass that up?

"Why?" he asked, curious as to the other man's intentions.

A flicker a sorrow ghosted over the man's dark eyes and his gaze flickered to Logan before resting back on Harry's. "Last year I promise your brother to do everything to protect you, including keeping you from going back to the Dursleys," he paused when Harry flinch violent, eyes going wide, but when the child gave no indication he was to explain his odd behavior he continued. "I failed him and broke my promise. Due to my negligence you nearly died. I wish to make amends. Besides, you are one of my snakes and I wish to help you in every way I can."

Logan was watched the potions teacher with a shocked look that bordered on awe. While he had been pissed at Snape for not keeping his promise he never expected for Snape to do anything to try to make it up to him, and at the cost. Helping Harry with his memories was something that might take years, nobody knowing just how fragmented they were. To have Snape promise to help, to try and make amends, filled him with hope and gratitude. If Snape could actually forgive Harry he might just forgive the man.

Harry was processing what Snape had just said. He glanced up at Logan, wondering if his brother had actually gone to his head of house to ask for help. He wondered why Logan had asked for help, had something happened? Something he couldn't remember?

Merlin, he hated this. This questioning of this he should know. This not knowing things he should know. Of not being able to remember. He hated, hated, hated it! It made him feel scared and helpless, made him feel defenseless. Those dark feeling whirled around inside him and taunted him, drowning him in their strength.

It was those dark feelings that made the decision for him. "Alright, I agree." he agreed, nodding. "But that doesn't mean I trust you."

Snape nodded. "Understood. Is there a particular day you would like to meet for these sessions?"

Harry thought about that for a minute, trying to think if he had anything, only to realize he couldn't even recall his school schedule. His face scrunched in frustration and he felt like screaming.

Severus could see the child's inner turmoil and decided to intercede. "We can set a day later, though I suggest sooner than later. If you're worried about your class schedule I can get you another copy though I believe Draco has it memorized and shares the majority of his classes with you."

Harry shot him a grateful look, nodding. "Thank you."

Severus waved it off, uncomfortable with gratitude, Remus smirked at his side, all too familiar with the gesture. "It is nothing. If you need anything come find me. I need to go report to the headmaster on your condition and assure him there is no need for further intervention."

Harry's face darkened at the mention of Dumbledore. "Tell that bastard to stay the hell away from me," he growled, hand closing protectively around several strands of Draco's hair. Logan held him closer, trying to soothe him.

Severus allowed himself a small smirk. "It would be my pleasure to tell him off." A mirroring smile appeared on Harry's face as the potions master swept from the room.

Maybe he could trust Snape.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Alright, so a bit shorter than the usual word vomit that's been the norm lately, though that's mostly because the next scene was gonna be hella long and I don't really feel like writing it, so that'll be next chapter.

For those of you who review with ur age/gender, merci! Much appreciated, seems like the youngest of you is in high school so that means I'm not warping the minds of the young. Noooowwww, if any of you who didn't review is is middle school or younger get the fuk out, go read some smut, that's better than this cuz this is just going to get darker as they get older. So out with you children.

For those of you still remaining let me know what you think of the chapter. Also, another question, any of you going to Texas A&M Galveston? Or anyone reading this in Galveston? I'm curious cuz I'm currently at that school and wanna know if I have to watch out for anyone knowing that I write fanfic in my spare time (le gasp)

Sorry for the rantyness, thanks for reading, ciao


	25. Old Friends, New Acquaintances

"DUMBLEDORE!"

The door to Dumbledore's office opened with a bang, the yell ringing out loud and clear. An infuriated red head came storming in. Lily's green eyes burned with anger, hands clenched in fist, face red. Dumbledore looked up and fought back a sigh. He should have known she would come raging in sooner or later.

"And a good day to you my dear," he responding, fighting to keep the sarcasm from his voice. It wouldn't do to infuriate the woman any further. "What can I do for you?"

"Don't you dare pull that shit with me," Lily snarled. "You know exactly what you've done! What the hell were you thinking?! Binding a child's magic? What the bleeding hell were you thinking?!" Her voice rose with the accusations.

Dumbledore cast some of his magic towards her, just to calm her slightly. Lily was too mad to be fully calmed but at least her voice dropped from a yell.

With everything happening he didn't really have time to deal with the irate woman. Harry had woken up, for reasons unknown. Logan had seemed to have fully turned against him, having sent a letter denying any lessons from him several days ago. Severus had been in his office two days prior to give his report of Harry's physical health and to 'tell him off' as the black haired man had put it. Remus was standing completely by the children, the grasp he had had over the man for the past decade or so lessening. Poppy had taken to chastising him whenever he visited the hospital wing. Even Minerva, who had always been loyal, was beginning to question him. Ever since Harry had woken up roughly three days ago he had been swamped trying to work damage control. He really didn't want to deal with Lily at the moment but judging from the fire in her eyes he would either have to obliviate her or let her rage. Hiding another sigh he settled in for the latter option, finding less ways for that to backfire on him like all his other choices had so far.

Lily was pacing down, continuing with her rant, throwing her hands up every so often. "The potion was just supposed to be a memory suppressant. You promised that it wouldn't have any physical side effects and that it was a temporary solution until you could find something else. He wasn't supposed to be magically bound! You know how that affects a child. Just because he was a bit magically strong doesn't mean you bind him! You said you find some other way to deal with that. He almost died!" her voice rose back up to a shriek as she pointed a finger at the headmaster. "What more you didn't tell me about any of this! I only found out this morning from Logan who finally wrote to me. The first letter he's sent me since the beginning of the school year, the first time he's talked to me without me forcing him to answer something, and it's to find out you're killing my other son!"

Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle at her. "So he's your son now, you've finally claimed him as such?"

Lily flushed a dark red, ducking her head in shame. "No," she muttered. She looked back up, her eyes growing hard once more. "But just because I don't consider him my son doesn't mean I want him to die. He's still a child and I care for him as I would any other child. He should have his well-being assured, or at the very least the promise he wouldn't die."

"Is that why you sent him back to the Dursley's?" he questioned, knowing it would work to distract her.

As he predicted Lily paled and fell silent, eyes becoming shuttered. Her body position changed from offensive to defensive. "I didn't know what would happen. I thought Petunia would have grown up, that she wouldn't have let that happen to a child."

"But you knew of her hatred of magic, did you not?" He steepled his fingers together, pleased to see her shoulders rise in defense, her words growing softer.

"Yes… but-"

Dumbledore refused to let her finish, rather continuing with his swift barrage. "And you were the one to personally take Harry back to that house at the end of the school year? Even after knowing what had happened? What they did to him?"

"You said that he had to… for the blood protections…" her voice sounded weak even to her own ears.

Truth was she didn't want to deal with the child and giving him to Petunia had been the simplest option. Wizard orphanages weren't a thing and there was very few agencies for abandoned wizarding children, many being fronts for human trafficking. There wasn't much she could do with Harry after that night. Sirius had gone after Peter, Remus was broken by grief, she hadn't talked to Severus in ages at that point and was still wary of him being a death eater. All that was left was Petunia. She knew her sister had a child roughly that same age as Harry so Harry would have someone to grow up with. It had seemed like the best option at the time, as broken as she was by James's death and the near death of Logan. Dumbledore had promised that the child would be protected and set up blood wards as she transferred custody of Harry from her to Petunia.

While she had known that Petunia didn't like magic at the time she had given Harry away it had seemed like the boy was a muggle. His magical core had been depleted. Dumbledore had theorized that it was because of the massive amounts of magic that was abound in the nursery when Voldemort attacked and this vanquished by Logan, earning him the title of the boy who lived. Finding Harry's name on the enrollment role had come as a surprise to both Lily and Dumbledore and it was decided that she would take partial responsibility for the child. When Lily had gone to get Harry she never imagined that the boy would have been suffered anything major. After finding out Harry did actually possess magic she had thought that he might have experienced some mild neglect. As she and Petunia had sat down to talk as the boys went to grab Harry's things she had been horrified to learn what had happened in that house. Petunia hadn't gone into details, just sticking to the basics, but it had been horrible enough for her to go to the headmaster. Upon learning of what had happened and having the Potter reputation to preserve Dumbledore had assured Lily that a potion would be made to hinder Harry's memories, a temporary block, while he worked on finding something more permanent that would raise any questions. Thus had been the creation of the potion and Harry's 'magical seizures'. Lily never knew that the potion was actually a bind for Harry's magic. While she may not be the fondest of the boy she would never wish the binding of one's magic upon her greatest enemy and was horrified to find that the man she had had look up to for so long, the savior of the light, had been the one to impart such a fate upon a child.

Dumbledore watched her with knowing eyes, as though he could see the thoughts racing in her mind. Unable to stand those damn twinkling orbs she turned her face to the side, filled with hatred for both the man in front of her and for herself.

"Fuck you Albus," she finally said, fist clenched. Taking a deep breath she turned back to face the bastard. "If you ever dare come near my boys again, Logan or Harry, I will personally kill you. Or die trying."

The promise hung in the air and Dumbledore realized he had lost yet another link to Logan. He had only meant to slightly break Lily, make her see that they were together in their crimes against Harry and that she couldn't completely blame him. He never thought she would defend Harry, the child she had given up and never thought about again. He felt like cursing himself as well for his folly. He seemed to be making far too many of them lately. Was he getting too old for all this meddling? He hoped not. Voldemort was still out there and there was still another war to win. But to win that war he would need Logan, who was falling further and further from his reach.

He scowled, hiding it behind his still steepled fingers. "So be it," he finally said. "I will stay away from your son's unless that do something that brings them under my jurisdiction, such as breaking school rules."

Lily nodded. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on my sons."

XXXxxxXXX

Harry rubbed his temples, head pounding. It had only been three days since he had woken up and he wasn't faring well. The gaps in his memory came as a huge source of frustration, making him grumpy and hostile most of the time. Plus there were the after effects of what he had gone through, such as his over excited magic and torn vocal cords which forced him to speak in low growls. Then there was the reaction that everyone seemed to have to him now that he wasn't quiet and drugged. Everyone seemed shocked at the change and took to asking him question after question. Draco had made up some excuse about him no longer having to be on the potion but rather having a ritual done that had 'cured' his 'magical seizures' which is also why Harry had missed so much school. The rest of the school had swallowed the lie easily and he was grateful to the blond for his quick thinking.

Speaking of Draco…

It was… disconcerting to be friends with someone who's only known you when you're drugged. He could remember the blond but it was like remembering a friend you knew as child but hadn't seen since in years. Both of you had changed but there was still that odd little spark of friendship though neither of you knew what to do or how to act.

The day Harry had woken up Draco slept all day, refusing to even move from Harry's bed. At the end of the day after everyone had finally left, Logan with much persuasion, he had thrown some blankets at Draco, who had mumbled something in his sleep, and had been forced to sleep on the other side of the bed, thankful that the beds at Hogwarts were huge. Of course it wasn't till the morning after that he realized it the first time he had slept in a bed, as far as he could remember that was.

Draco had waken up before him, fretting about classes and school work, something Harry had chuckled up as he was disturbed from his sleep. One of the few things he could remember about Draco was the blondes frantic obsession over school work. Toyotama-hime, who he was pleasantly surprised to see curled by his neck as she slept, had hissed sleepy threats of death before slithering around his neck and dozing as he got ready for class.

They had to rush to breakfast and then to class, Harry making sure Draco ate something. It wasn't till later that night that both boys were forced to confront each other, realizing that their friendship had changed and the question if they were still to have a friendship hung in the air.

Harry was different from the one Draco had known. Harry also couldn't remember much about Draco. In essence the two of them were practically strangers. Which was odd because Draco had sacrificed so much to save his friend only to have the friend he knew be swept away and replaced by someone completely new.

So they had sat in one of the private rooms the Slytherin house had to offer, avoiding eye contact, unsure of what to say. It was Draco who broke the silence, holding his hand out to Harry.

"Hello, my name is Draco Malfoy, pleasure to meet you," Draco said politely, as though they were meeting for the first time.

Harry blinked in surprise before a smile broke out on his face. "Hello Draco Malfoy, my name is Harry Potter. It's a delight to make your acquaintance." he took Draco's hand, saying the words with such sincerity it caused both of the boys to stifle laughter, feeling like children playing at being adults.

From there they had continued their tentative relationship. Harry often stuck close to Draco, unsure of what was going on in most of their classes and getting easily lost in the castle. He felt more like a first year than a third year most days. Draco had no problem with this, glad explaining anything and everything, often doing so without being prompted as he found Harry had an issue with asking for help.

In return Harry had been making sure Draco ate a minimum of 1000 calories a day and forcing the boy to sleep as the blonde often stayed up reading or doing school work. Apparently when Harry had fallen into a coma Draco had ignored all of his studies and had fallen behind quite a bit, something his parents were greatly displeased with. There had been several stern letters that Draco had taken hard and had begun to work even harder to please them now that his friend was better.

Draco had also told Harry about how he had saved the others life, telling him all about Aditi and the tree. Harry could remember often going to the tree over the past years but he never realized how close he was to such a wonderous place and listened to Draco with rapture, having the boy recount the tale many times. Draco promised to take Harry to meet Aditi soon, once they were no longer under watch by both Snape and Lupin but Harry's brother and the Weasley twins.

At first Harry had been slightly amused to see that his brother was so concerned about him. Logan had been waiting outside the Slytherin common room the day after he had woken up from his coma. He had been a bit frightened, remembering when Logan used to walk him to the hospital wings in the morning to get his potion, and he had snapped at his brother. Logan had assured him that he was merely here to walk out for him. Since then Logan or one of the twins were always nearby. It was getting annoying, always being watched. Snape and Lupin kept a close eye on him as well, though never going as far as to stalk him. He had even decided to begin therapy sessions with Snape every Wednesday starting next week.

He heaved a sigh, shaking his head in hopes of clearing his persistent headache. Draco placed a hand of sympathy on his shoulder, just a glancing touch that the normal looker on wouldn't notice but a touch he took comfort from.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Logan, pretending to be nonchalant and totally not stalking his brother. He knew his brother meant well but it was beginning to get annoying. It was like everyone was watching him, waiting to see what he would do.

He ignored his brother and continued to the great hall, wanting only to get some food into Draco before retiring to his room and sleeping off this headache. As he reached the grand entrance hall he grew grateful for his brother as he spotted Lily.

He stilled, anger pushing away his headache, his hands clenching. Draco paused, looking around for the reason his friend had stopped. He soon spotted Lily.

"Is that her?" he whispered to Harry, who nodded in response. He tensed, placing himself slightly in front of Harry, drawing his magic around him.

Lily, having spotted her son, began to make her way over to Harry, a sliver of relief showing on her face. Harry considered running but he knew he was going to have to deal with her sooner or later

He didn't know what he thought about her. From the little he could remember she had abandoned him to the Dursley's, never once checking up on him. He had thought her dead, not even knowing he had a sister, until she had turned back up shortly after his eleventh birthday. Even then she had been distant towards him. He could remember catching her staring at him with looks of fear or sorrow. One thing he knew for sure though was that she had been involved in making him take that potion. The mere thought send his magic fluttering about him, ready to protect and defend. It formed as a snake that wrapped itself around his body, fangs bear. Only those who could sense magic would be able to see it's form, which many students couldn't do. By the glances Draco, Lily, and several upperclassmen in the area was giving him it seemed as if they could.

As Lily strode towards her son she was blocked as Logan ran up, placing himself between her and Harry. His blue eyes were sparking, hand on his wand.

"Was is it you want?" he asked coldly, the words lodging deep in her heart. He was speaking to her as though she was nothing more than an irritating stranger…

She fought not to show the pain the words cause as she answered. "I've merely come to see how Harry is," she said. "I heard what happened… thank you for your letter, I had no idea."

There was a bark of a laugh, cold and harsh, the came from behind Logan, causing both of them to look at the source in surprise. Harry stood, lips upturned in a sneer. "No idea? You were there when they ran the test, when that potion was forced into me. You were the one who allowed Dumbledore to do so. I plead for you not to, I cried out to you and you ignored me. " the words were filled with cold amusement tinged with bitterness.

He could remember being strapped down to the medical bed, surrounded by white walls. At first he had fought against the bindings, making his wrist and ankles slippery with blood but to no avail. The restraints had been charmed to fit on his wrist no matter what. He had screamed, stormed, pleaded, and threatened. Healers, at least what he had assumed to be healers, had been in and out, running various test. Blood was drawn several times and they had cast spells that had send pain racketing through his body for collection of bone marrow and other such items. Lily visited often, soothing his hair and always bringing food. He came to see her as a solace of peace within the nightmare. He had only been there for a max of a week but it seemed like an eternity. The bright fluorescent lights that never shut off making the experience one long lifetime. Lily promised him that everything would be alright soon, that the test were necessary to test his magic and make sure he was physically okay. She had promised everything would be okay soon, that it would stop. She had kept her promises, it did stop, but so did everything else. She had held him as he took the potion, tears in her eyes. He had been scared, beseeching her if everything was alright. Then everything had gone numb. As he felt the potion winding through his body for the first time, felt it eating away at his memories, he had clung to her, pleading her to make it stop, begging her. He had screamed, cried, sobbed, and then he felt nothing. The next time he was conscious he was a walking, talking robot. He couldn't feel, couldn't think, and couldn't even bring himself to care. His past was shrouded in fog and so was much of the real world. When Lily had came to take him home, tears on her face, he couldn't even remember what had happened or how she had hurt him.

Now that pain of betrayal reared it's ugly head as he stared at the red-head with eyes like his own. His magic, coiled tightly around his shoulders, tensed, ready to strike. Draco watched him with large eyes fixed on the snake. Even Logan who couldn't see his magic had a tinge of fear in his eyes. Lily, who knew all about Harry and his magic and having already faced it once before when she had first went to get the child, stood tall, knowing that if he did attack it was her own fault. She had turned her own son against her. Shooting a look at Logan she amended the statement. She had turned both of her sons against her for her own careless actions. Her head threatened to bow as she realized her actions made her just as bad as Dumbledore but she forced herself to look into her sons eyes, ready to make amends for what she had done.

"I am so sorry Harry," she said, voice trembling. "I did know about the potion and the side effects, at least part of it. I didn't know it was supposed to bind your magic though. It was only supposed to act as a memory suppressant."

"As if that's supposed to make it any better?" Harry snarled, his sneer fading into a mild frown.

Lily shook her head. "No. What I did is wrong, unforgivable, but I never wanted you to die. You're still my son and I still want what is best for you."

Harry stilled, eyes going dark. "And that's why you sent me to the Dursley's?" venom dripped from every word, making Lily wince.

"I didn't know what would happen and by the time we got you it was too late, the damage was done." Lily admitted regretfully.

Harry regarded her with disdain. "And that's why you decided to drug me, take my memories away? I mean, couldn't have anyone finding out what happened to the brother of the boy who lived. Yet, after finding out what had happened I was still sent back there year after year, wasn't I?"

Lily took a deep breath, forcing her words not to tremble. "I'm sorry. By the time I came to get you there were already blood wards on the house, having been placed there when I first left you with your aunt. Dumbledore insisted-"  
Several screams rang throughout the hall as every glass, window, and light in the near vicinity shattered. Harry's fist were clenched but he held himself well, head held high, his green eyes smoldering with anger. "Don't you dare say that bastard's name around me or try to blame your actions on him." Harry's voice was of ice and the shards cut through Lily, cutting whatever strings she had been using to keep herself upright. Her shoulders slumped and her chin fell to her chest. Slowly tears began to streak down her face.

Logan, who had been watching the debacle in confusion, was torn as he stared between his brother and his mother. While he loved his brother dearly and agreed that everything that had happened to him had been undeserved and horrible Lily was still his mother. Lily was the woman who had tucked him in at night, read him bedtime stories, taught him how to defend himself, patched him up when he got hurt, and who was always there to kiss his tears away. Trying to reconcile the woman who had hurt Harry, his brother, her son, so badly and the woman who had been, who was, his mother was near impossible. Lily was strong and independant, a constant source of warmth, love, and strength. The woman before him was a fraud, fearful, and had hurt a child for reasons he still wasn't entirely clear about. How could a woman care so much for one son yet nearly cause the death of another? He wanted his mother by his side, wanted her in his life, but he couldn't trust her. Not anymore. Not after what she had done to Harry. He closed his eyes in pain, knowing that he had lost the woman he had once called mother and gained a stranger called Lily. It was terrifying, letting go of the memory of the woman, but he could not allow his fond memories to cloud his judgement. She had caused the suffering of her other son, abandoning him as a babe and latter drugging him, nearly killing him. He could not just forgive her even though she was his mother. Harry deserved some retribution for the deeds done against him.

Slowly he approached Lily, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise, tears streaming down her face. Behind him he could sense something, possibly magic (was it possible to sense magic?), tense, following his movement closely.

"It's time you leave," he said slowly and softly, as though speaking to a child. "Harry doesn't want you here… and neither do I."

Lily took a step back looking as if she had been slapped. Taking a deep breath she composed herself, tears still on her cheeks. "I understand. I am sorry, to both of you. I hope one day you'll forgive me." She gave a small bow of apology before turning and leaving.

Harry watched her leave with distrustful eyes. As soon as she was out of sight he sagged, leaning against Draco, feeling drained from the confrontation. Draco said nothing, silently lending his own strength to his friend.

Logan stared after Lily long after she left with eyes old beyond his years. _I hope one day I can forgive you as well…_

XXXXXxxxxXXXXX

Draco and Harry sat in the library three days later, Draco desperately working on school work while Harry helped every so often. Draco was still far behind on school work, having not done anything for nearly three weeks. His parents had sent several stern letters full of harsh scolding, their disapproval cutting into him as nothing else could. If it hadn't been for Harry making sure he slept and ate he would be in the library every spare second of the day. As it was he already was in the library as often as he could, Harry using coming with the help check over his work. He was grateful for his friend though he wouldn't say it outloud, having too much Malfoy pride for that. Rather he hoped to convey his gratitude through the shining looks he gave to Harry every so often and Harry seemed to understand, smiling back.

He was drawn from his essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts, a class he actually enjoyed under the tutelage of Professor Lupin, as Luna floated up to the two. Looking up he was stunned into silence by the girl at Luna's side.

She was short and curvy, looking several years older than the two of them. Half of her head was shaved, the remaining hair flowing just past her chin in purple locks. Her arms were decorated with tattoos, several which appeared to be naked or scantily clad women. She had several piercings in her ears and a ring on her eyebrow. Surprisingly she wore no makeup and her brown eyes were a shock of normality to her otherwise extreme look. Even her clothes were different from anything he had other seen. Her robes hung open to reveal baggy cargo pants with what seemed to be chains hanging from them and a black tank top, a tie hanging loosely from her neck. He couldn't remember ever seeing her at the school, knowing that he would have remembered her. No one at Hogwarts dressed or looked as the girl did, many wizarding families being far too conservative. The most outrageous style he had seen, before this girl, was a boy dying several strands of hair blue on a dare. Piercings and tattoos were nonexistent or hidden from sight. He had to blink several times just to make sure the girl was real.

"Hey," Harry said at his side. "You're Luna! I remember you!" Harry was also glad when he could remember someone and took great joy in it.

Luna smiled back. "Looks like your prince charming finally woke you up. You've been asleep for a long time."

"Who is prince charming?" Draco asked, feeling as though they were talking about him. Harry flushed and the odd looking girl chuckled, losing her scowl for the first time.

"It's a muggle thing kid, you wouldn't understand," the girl said flippantly, waving a hand.

Draco fought to keep a glare from his face, rather bowing his head in recognition to the girl. "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Draco Malfoy. And who might you be?"

The girl watched him with wide eyes before sniggering. "Name's Isobel." she turned to Luna. "Do all of them act like that?"

Luna shook her head. "No, few do outside of pureblood families. Draco is just very well versed in customs and seeing how he's already in third year his family's probably pressuring him to follow more of the customs and act more professional."

Draco fought the heat threatening to rise to his cheeks, Luna having guessed his actions correctly. Just before he had left for school this year his father had taken him aside and told him that he was too old to act as a child, that he must act the heir to the Malfoy name. Since he had failed to do so for the past month, due to his worry and fright over Harry, he was trying to do so now. Many Slytherins were doing the same along with purebloods from other houses. It was an unspoken thing, to hear it explained made it sound kind of silly but he held his head tal anyways.

Isobel looked over to Harry, back to scowling. It seemed to be her default expression. "What's your name kid?"

"Harry Potter," Harry replied. He was watching the girl in interest, surprised by her. "Are you new here. I don't remember seeing you around…" his words trailed off as he remembered that he couldn't remember most people, feeling stupid at having forgotten.

If Isobel noticed Harry's change in tone or expression she, thankfully, ignored it. "I'm new year, just came this year."

"You're a first year?" Draco couldn't help to blurt out. There was no way, the girl before him was far too developed for only a first year.

The girl smiled, a bitter curl to it. "Nah, though I'm as useless as one. I'm technically in fifth year though I've never been to a wizarding school before so I know absolutely nothing in any of my classes."

"Never been to a wizarding school…?" Draco asked, confused. Every magical child was signed up to go to Hogwarts from birth. Maybe she was a muggleborn? Though those children were still signed up when their magic started appearing.

Isobel shrugged. "Letter couldn't really find me, was too busy being shipped home to home."

This caught Harry's attention. He stared intently at Isobel. "You were in the foster care system?"

Draco mouthed the words, wondering what they meant. Luna came to sit on the table next to him and translated, giving a brief description of what foster care what. He found the whole thing mind boggling. People really gave up their children? So much that there had to be a system put in place for them? In the wizarding world Harry was the exception, most parents never giving up their children. Wizarding children were as precious and treated as such.

"Yup," Isobel said, tone dripping with cynicism. "Since I was four. Hell of a ride."

Petunia had often threatened to put Harry into foster care if he ever spoke about what happened. He could remember being four and having his aunt tell him story after story of how awful children were treated in the system, how he was treated so much better than him. He had been terrified of that ever happening to him and had told nobody about what happened at home, no matter how bad it got.

"What was it like?" he whispered.

Isobel looked at him oddly, as though trying to figure him out. "Hell," she finally said. "It was Hell."

Harry nodded, not wanting to pry too much into her life. "How are you here now?"

"Letter finally got to me," Isobel said with a shrug.

The two continued talking, falling into a comfortable conversation. Draco was surprised as Harry had rarely talked to anyone, even those in his own house, and those he talked to he was usually hostile. Yet Harry was talking with Isobel as though it was one of the most normal thing, discussing various things from the muggle world and how it compared to the wizarding world. It was a scene that Draco watched with raised eyebrows. Finally he turned to Luna.

"How'd you find her?" he asked.

Luna giggled. "She was sorted into my house."

Isobel broke from her conversation with Harry to pitch in. "She started stalking me, wouldn't leave me alone, always blabbering about Nargles and Whippersnatchers. No matter how much I tried to ignore or insulted her she always comes back, like an annoying puppy."

Luna smiled sweetly at Isobel, causing the other girl to blush. "And you love having me around."

Isobel spluttered slightly, trying to hide her red face. "I'm calling it stockholm syndrome."

Luna merely laughed, the noise like the sound of tinkling bells, Harry joining in. Isobel sniffed and returned to her conversation with Harry, cheeks still dusted with pink. Draco looked between the two girls, curious at their interaction. Was there something going on between them? He stored the observation away for later, promising to keep an eye on the two girls.

Luna broke him from his thoughts. "Aditi wants to see you again,"

Draco froze. He hadn't had much time to think about what had happened with Aditi. With everything going on, Harry waking up, dealing with the fact that the world was still outlines with magic, trying to catch up with homework, his encounter his Aditi had only been thought of in the moments before he fell asleep and the times he had discussed her with Harry,

"When?" he finally asked.

Luna hummed slightly, kicking her feet. "Tonight. She said to bring your broken dove,"

Draco nodded, a thrum of excitement shooting through him and going back to the cavern, to seeing the odd child again. He had so many questions that had gone unanswered last time, so many he needed to ask.

A smile rested on his lips as he fell into a comfortable silence with Luna, listening to Harry and Isobel fight over something called the "Ninja Turtles(?)", a feeling of peace stealing over him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Here ya go, hope you enjoy. Please tell me what you think about it so far and where you see this going/ how you like where its going. I'm going to bring Black in soon, sorry, there's just been a lot going on! Also, thoughts on Isobel?

Alright, so just a heads up this is going to be a monster of a fanfic, so far I'm about half way through with this (roughly). Plus there's going to be a sequel. Yesh mofos, a sequel and that's were everything gets all sorts of fun.

Also, this is a gay fic, there are relationships of nearly every brand, homo, lezzy, asexual, trans, hetero, triads, basically anything legal goes. A lot more characters are gonna be introduced, it's going to be great. But right now most of them are too young for this whole relationship thing so we don't need to worry about that yet.


	26. Victory

That night Draco and Harry made their way to the forbidden forest. It wasn't difficult to sneak out of the castle, especially since Draco could see the faint light of shining magic emanating from anyone who was patrolling. While being able to see magic was annoying and distracting, often causing him to forget his surroundings as he watched the interplay between magic, it was useful. He could see how magic upon an object to change it and the difference between bound and free magic. Severus was the only one, besides Harry, that knew about his new ability to see magic. The black haired man had warned against being too trusting of Aditi, fearing that she meant ill-will, but he knew better. He would have to see if he could bring Severus to meet her sometime.

Harry was strolling in front of him, knowing exactly where the tree was. For the first time since Harry had woken up he looked excited. Due to his fragmented memories and renewed emotions Harry had been caught within the confines of inner turmoil for most of the time. Draco felt bad for his friend, knowing that was the source of Harry's short temper and often hostility but it was still annoying. Most of the Slytherin house was very fed up with Harry and he had been called in one too many times to break up a fight between Harry and someone else. After the first three times this happened he resigned himself to being Harry's keeper, sticking close to the boy at all time. Harry didn't seem to mind this, unlike his brothers stalking of him, and seemed grateful to have him near. If it helped keep the peace he didn't mind playing chaperone, especially since he seemed to one of the few people Harry didn't snap at.

They reached the tree quickly, Harry falling behind to let Draco lead them through the maze of tunnels created by the trees roots. He was afraid they'd get lost, having only been there once before with Luna, but the same damn feline creature from last time showed up shortly after they had reached the tree, smiling widely as it lead them to the groove.

Behind him Harry gasped. He smiled, hiding his own gasp as well. Even though he had just been here a few days ago it was still as enchanting as before. In fact, it was even more so since he could now see the magic in the air rather than just feeling it. The magic swirled lazily, winding throughout the creatures and plants in the clearing, shifting between the colours of the rainbow shining brightly. Toyotama-hime, who had been curled around Harry's neck, slithered from her spot and began mimicking the magic, her scales flashing brilliantly. Harry, noticing Toyotama-hime's behavior, chuckled and stroked her scales fondly.

"So you've returned starchild,"

Draco turned to the voice, smiling as he saw the same being that greeted him last time. Harry was startled, looking at the green being in equal amounts of awe and fear.

Draco bowed slightly in respect. "So I have," he replied.

The being returned the gesture. "You've brought the wild child with you,"

"Wild child?" Draco asked, his eyes sliding over to Harry. "Was he not called the broken dove before?"

Harry spluttered something in the background but was ignored by the two engage in conversation.

The being shook their head. "He's no longer broken, you've healed him. Now he's a wild child, that magic having claimed him as its own."

Draco tried to think of a way to respond to that. Harry swooped in before he could say anything though. "What are you?"

Draco hid a flinch at the careless question, hoping it didn't anger the being before them. The being merely chuckled, a soft noise that was reminicent of thunder showers on a hot summer night.

"I have no name but have been coined many by your people. For the time being you may call me Nuadha. As for what I am, I am the keeper and protector of magic and the form it takes. Currently I am the guardian of Aditi." the being said, eyes sparkling.

At her name Draco looked around, as though expecting to see her. "Where is she?" he asked.

Nuadha seemed amused by his curiosity and gestured to the pond. Aditi sat on the banks, waves lapping at her toes. Her white wings were curled softly around her, partially hiding her from view. His grey eyes met hers and she smiled, waving.

"I believe she wishes to see you," Nuadha said, prompting them to go over to the girl. Draco nodded and gave a smile of thanks before walking over to Aditi, Harry at his heels.

Aditi rose with a twirl to face them. Her yellow eyes were as piercing as ever framed by her unruly mess of white hair. She spared a glance for him, smiling brightly, before skipping over to Harry, smile replaced by curiosity. Draco watched as Harry's green magic slowly ventured to frolick with Aditi's spectral magic. Harry stared back at Aditi's inquisitive eyes, looking unsure and bashful, like a child.

"You're magic is back," she hummed happily. She looked towards Draco. "You did good healing him."Draco flushed and nodded.

Aditi looked back and forth between the two boys before gesturing for them both to sit. They took their place on the soft grass, small lights floating up as it was disturbed. Harry gasped in awe while Draco smirked, glad he was no longer the clueless one overridden by awe. It was nice to refer to a place as spectacular as this as 'his' domain and introduce others to it.

Once seated Aditi had them fill her in on what had happened. Draco told her about the gray block smothering Harry's magic and how he had broken it, putting it as eloquently as possible. Harry added bits and pieces, describing how it felt as his magic returned and the rush he felt. He also mentioned his scattered memories, to which Aditi assured him they would return. Draco finished by telling her about the magic he could now see constantly, slightly complaining about the confusion and headache it caused. Aditi listened quietly, speaking only when to tell Harry about his memories. Once they were done she clapped her hands together.

"Everything turned out great!" she exclaimed. "For the first time before we have a wild child and a starchild! Now that you are aware of your power you two are going to do outstanding feats."

"Why am I a wild child?" Harry asked. "Why is he a starchild?" he gestured towards Draco.

Aditi started on Draco first. "His aura is that of stars, his power is completely unbound, transcending the physical and even magical plane. The magic he possesses is the purest there is, a catalyst for change. The magic only chooses those deemed worthy, clean of all sin."

Draco blinked in shock. No, that couldn't be him, she couldn't be right. He wasn't worthy. He messed up, made so many mistakes. He couldn't even beat a muggleborn in his studies, as his parents loved to remind him. He even had issues with an eating disorder, something that only girls were supposed to have. How could he be a starchild? He was so dirty…

Aditi touched Draco's leg gently in comfort, as though reading his thoughts, and gave him a sweet smile that was a ray of peace in the raging waters of his dark emotions. She then turned her attention to Harry.

"As for you," she began. "You're magic is wild. Something happened to you as a child and you gave away your innocence and broke the bounds of your magic, setting it free. The magic of the earth responded, placing claim over you."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Placing claim on me? How did it do that? How did I give my innocence away? What happened to make that happen? What about the bounds of my magic?"

Aditi laughed. "Magic is wild and beautiful, existing in all. The magic that claimed you is a healing magic, very much the magic of gaia. Now, I don't know what happened but it appears you must of have injured. You probably didn't know what you were doing when you gave your innocence away. If I had to guess I would say it was an act of desperation, a plea to live. The magic that claimed you answered that plea, healing you. As for your magic it was taken somehow but everyone who has ever trapped magic will always have a link to it, like a curse. You managed to break that link."

Harry's head was reeling. What could have happened to him to cause him to give away his… innocence? That concept alone was confusing. How did one give away their innocence? Was that even possible? Somehow it was… and now his magic had a claim over him.

He shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. "You said something about my magic being taken?"

Aditi nodded. "Yes, it appears your magic was taken from you as a babe, the scars are still on your magical core. Since you were so young the separation would not have killed it, though you would have been in pain for several days, taking anyone's magic against their will always does."

"Then why did binding my magic this time nearly kill me?" Harry asked.

"The magic you possess right now has claim over you, not the other way around. You are tied to your magic so completely, it's what is keeping you alive at this point. Even just suppressing it would start to kill you. You were dying long before the beginning of this year, you've been dying every since you came to this school. I don't know how they suppressed your magic or why but they were killing you. If you hadn't found this tree and spent so many nights here you would be dead. You magic was able to sustain you here, being so close to wild magic."

"The wards around the school," Draco suddenly said. "They keep out any… 'wild' magic. All the magic in the school is broken."

Aditi nodded, obviously pleased. "Yes, the school is warded to keep wild magic out, believing it to be bad. In fact, if I remember correctly, wild magic was often equated with dark magic because the user had to pull on sources outside of their to cast certain spells or do certain rituals. Though that might have changed since my time."

Draco thought about his parents and the death eaters. He hadn't the chance to see their magical auras yet but would their magic be free. Was the Dark Lord actually the right side in this war? But the Dark Lord wasn't fighting for magic, he was fighting for magical purity. Was it the same thing? No, Aditi had said that magic was supposed to be free. Purebloods were just more adept at capturing more magic, they weren't utilizing wild magic. But there were some spells and rituals that did draw on outside magic. Maybe the Dark Lord didn't know about wild magic either and was just using the spells and rituals to further his cause? That would make more sense than the Dark Lord fighting for wild magic through killing all muggleborns. He should ask Severus about this, the man would be able to explain more.

"Why would they do that?" Harry asked.

A sad smile bloomed on Aditi's lips. "Because they're scared."

"Scared of what?"

"The unknown… "

She said no more on the subject, letting those dark words play in their mind. Frustrated Harry gave up questioning that subject and instead asked about her, who/what she was. Draco leaned forward, eager to hear. He had been wondering the same thing. She explained that she was a physical manifestation of wild magic. Wild magic has no real form or conscious, existing as a collect conscious of thoughts, feelings, and movements. To communicate a form was constructed, usually having to use several different creatures to be able to contain even the fracture she held. This form changes every few hundred years, though never dying. She was not immortal, a god, or all knowing. She was simply a being beyond our comprehension trying to inhabit this realm. When she was done with her explanation both boys had more questions than answers but unsure of how to even phrase them.

Aditi suddenly looked up, eyes flickering back and forth over the fairy ladened ceiling. "It's late," she concluded. "You two must be going."

"But…" Harry protested, only to be overtaken with a yawn.

Aditi giggled. "No worries, we'll meet again soon wild child." she looked to Draco. "You need to learn about your magic and all it entails. I shall see you every Wednesday night as the moon rises."

Draco thought about protesting, saying he had homework and studying to do, but thought better of it. Rather he nodded in agreement and bid her farewell. She insisted on hugging them both. He was worried about how Harry would react, seeing as only him and Logan could touch the boy, but Harry merely hugged the girl back.

The feline waltzed up to them and walked them back to the castle. Draco and Harry discussed what they had learnt, Draco sharing his theories about the Dark Lord and wild magic. Harry agreed he should talk to Severus about it, curious as to what the older man would say. Snape seemed like one who would do dark arts.

Draco bide Harry goodnight once they were back inside their dorm room. This time as he laid down to sleep the feline was still there, staring at him with bright blue eyes. With a sigh he turned his back to the creature and fell into the quiet abyss of sleep.

XXXXxxxxxxXXXXXXXX

"What's your most recent memory? Since before you fell into a coma?" Snape clarified.

Harry sat across from the potions master, scowling. He was here for his first 'therapy' session with Snape and he already hated it. Something about having to share everything that was wrong with you just didn't sit with him well. He knew he was being petulant but it hadn't been the best of days, having been hounded by several of his classmates curious about his 'miraculous' recovery and trying to deal with entire chunks of his life missing. While he was grateful to know that he would get his memory back, thanks to Aditi, it still didn't make the not knowing any easier.

"I was in the hospital wing," he finally said. After a pointed look from Snape he continued. "I don't know which day, but it wasn't the first day I had been there. Madame Pomfrey had left some lunch on my bedside but I wasn't hungry. I remember wishing Toyotama-hime was there. I don't know where she was. Mostly I remember being tired, really really tired. I don't remember school starting or anything like that. There's glimpses of classes but mainly I was just tired."

Snape nodded, expecting this. The boy had been in the hospital wing the week prior to the beginning of school. It was no wonder that the boy had memories from there. "What about last summer?"

Harry's eyes grew caged as he remembered last summer. There were faint snatches of pain and screaming. A man's red face, a woman's loud shriek, a boy's beefy hands. None of it made sense. He shook his head slowly.

Snape could see the boy was hiding something but let it pass, they would come back to that later. "What's your earliest memory?"

"I was around three," Harry said after a moment of thought. "I was playing with a stuffed rabbit whose ear had been torn off. My cousin was playing with a brand new car, racing it all over the floor. He kept hitting me with it, finding it hilarious whenever I cried out in pain. My aunt told him to stop but never did anything. I finally got so mad I pushed him. He fell and started crying. My aunt got really mad and…" Harry trailed off. "She hit me and threw me into the cupboard before tending to Dudley…"

Snape kept all emotion from his face. While he had heard much worse tales of child abuse the shock and following quiet acceptance in Harry's voice was hard to hear. He wouldn't be surprised if the boy had been physically beaten as well as being neglected. He wondered if the boy could remember any of those memories.

"Do you remember a lot of situations like that?" he asked.

Harry nodded, looking down at his lap. "Aunt Petunia always choose Dudley's side over mine. Even when it was his fault…"

Snape nodded, wondering if he should try to console the boy. He had a feeling the boy would reject it though and continued with his questioning.

Over the course of an hour Snape questioned Harry over what he remembered and the basic themes of the memories. Harry remembered people, especially Draco, Logan, and Lily. His face grew dark when talking about Lily but Snape hadn't pushed him. Harry recounted several similar scenes to the first involving his cousin and aunt. When he had asked about Harry's uncle the boy had refused to speak, even threatening to leave. Mostly Harry talked about Hogwarts and the few classes he could remember.

Snape pulled open a drawer and pulled out a leather bound journal, handing it to Harry. "Here, I want you to write in this about anything you remember or want to remember. Use it to write about your feelings about these memories as well. It'll help with the anger and frustration you've been experiencing."

Harry took the journal, admiring it before looking up at Snape with hard eyes. "Will you be reading it?"

"Only if you allow me to," Snape replied.

Harry nodded, happy with the response. He would refuse to write in it if Snape would be reading it. It made him feel better to have some form of control, even if it was over a silly journal.

With nothing left to say Snape dismissed Harry with a reminder to write in the journal. Harry bid him a goodnight and disappeared into the hallway, intent on finding Draco to tell him all about his first therapy session.

XXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXXXX

Logan marched into Remus's office, not bothering to knock as he came through the door. Remus, caught off guard, looked up with a look of pleasant shock as he saw his pup. He opened his mouth to greet the teen but was abruptly cut off.

"We need to make sure Dumbledore stays away from Harry." Logan state, placing his hands on Remus's desk, face stern.

Remus nodded in agreement, though wondering where this sudden demand came from seeing as it had nearly been three weeks since Harry had woken, and asked the boy so.

Logan ran a hand through his hair, looking far too stressed for his young years. "I saw Dumbledore eyeing Harry at breakfast this morning. I didn't like the look in his eye. Plus, isn't it odd that he hasn't tried anything yet. He worked so hard to keep Harry on those potions, nearly killing him, it wouldn't be like him to just give up." He paused. "I'm surprised he hasn't tried anything so far…"

Logan's logic made sense and Remus agreed. "There's not much we can do about him, seeing as he is the headmaster," he hurried to continue as he saw Logan's eyes flash. "But we'll figure something out. I'll talk to Severus tonight. He's been having sessions with Harry and will know the best way to deal with the situation."

Logan smiled gratefully and hugged the man, which was gladly returned. "Thanks Moony, I knew I could trust you."

Remus chuckled and ruffled Logan's blond locks, "Anything for my cubs. Now get out of here, I'm sure you've got better things to do than spend time in a stuffy old office."

With a final farewell Logan was off, looking far less burdened than when he had entered the office. Rolling his shoulders Remus stood and made his way to the dungeons. He had a potions master to talk to.

XXxxxxxxxxxxxxXX

A day later found an unexpected trio once more in Snape's living quarters. Severus curled his lip at seeing the teen and werewolf sitting on his couch, writing away on a piece of paper. No one, besides Draco, had ever been inside of his private chambers yet an untrained dog and bratty teen had been here twice already, within the span of two months nonetheless. They would have to stop meeting like this.

The day before Remus had come to Severus with concerns about Harry. He briefly described his meeting with Logan and the older teens fears for his brother. Severus agreed with the oddity of Dumbledore's lack of action and decided they should make a strike to keep it that way, before the old man did try something. He told Remus to bring Logan to his chambers the next day and they would discuss their options. And here the two rascals were. And they were discussing blackmail.

When it came to Albus it was hard to do anything against the man. He had a near spotless reputation and great hold within the ministry. It was likely that any action they tried to take that way would only backfire on them. Besides, while the headmaster had nearly destroyed the life of a student he was still the best headmaster there was at this time. There was no one else qualified to take over role of headmaster and protect the children within the castle. Due to his magical strength and image as a wizard of light the school was one of most warded and well guarded places in all of England. Since Black was still on the loose it wouldn't fare well if the school were to suddenly lose their protector. So many parents had counted on having their children safe at Hogwarts. It would be pandamonium if the security of Hogwarts were to suddenly be compromised at this time. Thus, Dumbledore had to stay, but he always had to stay away from Harry. That only left one option.

Blackmail.

It was a low blow though not one he was above. He had done far worst in his time. Though he was rather surprised at the readiness the two Gryffindors at shown at the idea and the willingness they threw themselves into plotting. Perhaps the two lions had more snake in them than they knew. He forced himself to keep a straight face as he remember that Remus had, indeed at one point, far more snake in him than the other would care to admit.

"I think that's everything," Remus said. He leaned back against the couch, arms lifting in the air as he popped his back.

"Really?" Logan asked, eyes wide and excited. Remus nodded, returning the smile, and threw an arm over Logan's shoulder.

"Yessiree," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. Logan tried to scowl at being treated like a child but couldn't keep the smile from his face. Soon Harry would be safe from the headmaster and Lily. He smile damped slightly at remembering that his brother had to be protected from his own mum. While he knew it was necessary and he refused to let anything happen to Harry just because of fond memories it still hurt, a lot more than he would show. Lily was still his mum, still the woman who taught him to ride a bike and read a book and held him when he was sick. To find out that the same woman had hurt and abused her other son was painful and scary, forcing him to question the one person who had always been there for him, the one person he could trust no matter what. Now he couldn't trust her. He would never admit it to anyone but he felt so alone and lost now. Some days it just seemed like too much effort to get out of bed, like the weight of the world was on his shoulder. Luckily he had Harry to take care of, to keep him going.

Unaware of the eldest Potter's dark musings Severus examined the folder of documents the two had compiled. Deeming everything to be in order he turned to the vials of memory. There were several vials all containing the silvery threads of memory from Remus, Logan, and himself. Assessing everything to be in order he gave a nod and gently placed the vials in a carrying container, making sure no harm would come to them. Next he created duplicates of everything in the folder, placing the pages with the vials. Remus and Logan watched him as he worked, staying silent.

Satisfied with his work he picked up the case. "I shall give these to my associate and tomorrow we shall confront Albus," he said.

Remus nodded but Logan spoke up, a cautious fear in his eyes. "He's trustworthy, you're associate? He won't at anything in there or use it against Harry, will he?"

Severus was glad at the boy's questions, to see the boy thinking. "Yes," he assured Logan. "I'm calling in a life debt, His own magic will prevent him from going against the terms of our agreement. Harry will be in no danger from this individual."

Logan smile, relieved. Severus gave one more nod and excused them from his chambers before throwing powder into his fireplace and disappearing into the green flames.

XXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXX

A day later found the unlikely trio once more in Albus Dumbledore's office. The headmaster in question was watching the three with a mild look of dismay, only caught by the potions master, and a grandfatherly smile which was mostly aimed at Logan, who, in turn, was glaring.

"What has brought the three of you to my office this time?" Dumbledore asked, voice full of fake cheer.

Logan opened his mouth to say something but halted as Severus swiftly strode to the headmaster's desk and tossed a folder before the man. With questioning eyes Albus picked up the folder and began sifting through the papers. His face grew pale, eyes widening as he continued. Finally he looked up, barely holding onto the calm mask he always had about him.

"What is the meaning of this Severus?" He asked. Severus refused to show emotion as the poison laced words. The man may have done wrong but he was still Severus's savior and it was difficult to go against him.

"It's as it looks." Severus answered. "Within that folder is documentation, or lack thereof, of the Harry's past. Everything has been included in there along with yours and Lily's involvement in his abuse. Poppy, Pomona, and myself have all written testimonies and have agreed to testify in court come need be."

Albus's eyes narrowed. "What else is there?"

Severus refused to let his mouth quirk at the old man's shrewdness. "Remus, Logan, and myself have all supplied memories of Harry and what we have witnessed of his abuse."

"What do you mean to do with this information?" The headmaster asked. He wondered if he should try appealing to Logan and Remus, who were sitting off to the side, but decided against it for the time being. For now he would focus on Severus.

"That's up to you," Severus said. "You see, a legal battle would be long and lengthy, a drawn out affair, especially in a case against the headmaster of Hogwarts. The press would make a ruckus, printing everything under the sun. It would be chaos. And even if you and Lily managed to get off with no charges the press or people wouldn't forget."

Albus fought a growl at the apparent threat. He had saved this man, given him redemption. Severus would be nothing without him yet here the fool stood, threatening him within his own office.

Severus, as though sensing Albus's thoughts, continued with a dark glint to his eyes. "We could avoid all that fanfare though. No one outside of this room will ever have to know about this."

"What are your conditions?" Albus asked, sensing the catch.

Severus fought a victorious grin at seeing the headmaster submit so quickly. "A vow to stay away from Harry, to not affect, influence, or touch his life in any way shape or form. All things concerning Harry, including school related misdemeanors, will be redirected to me. You are not to have any contact with Harry at all."

"And if I declined?" Albus said, fingering the folder.

Severus saw that action and allowed a small smirk to curl his lips. "Then an associate of mine holding the originals of all those documents and vials containing all of our memories will give them to the ministry and copies to the press. We will take you to court on the charges of child neglect, assist to child abuse, and the willful intent of murdering a minor."

Albus stilled, eyes going dark. "You'd lose your job and no longer be under my protection," he said, hinting at the various ministry officials that sometimes came snooping around Severus's past.

Remus stepped into the conversation for the first time. "You'd have to fire me too and you know how hard it is to find teachers this time of the year. I've talked with Poppy and Pomona as well and they have agreed to quit if you refuse."

Severus looked at the wolf in surprise, not having known of this. He knew how hard it was for a werewolf to find work in the wizarding world, for the man to give you his job and to also rally others to give up their jobs as well… Remus must truly care for the boy.

Albus blanched. He couldn't deal with four teacher positions to fill, especially this early in the school year. Plus with all the controversy if Harry's past leaked out as well… He couldn't risk it, not at this time. He caught Severus's eyes and gave a terse nod, hating having to concede.

"You agree to take a magical oath to stay away from Harry Potter? To not influence his life in any way and give up any legal hold you have over him?" Severus asked. Albus could feel the magic in the air, weaving the words into a binding contract. If he were to agree the magic would be ingrained into his magic and he would be unable to break the vow. His own magic would fight him if he tried.

He bowed his head in submission. "I agree to these conditions." He could feel his magic changing as he said the words, binding him to his promise. "I shall not come near Harry Potter or influence his life in any way."

Severus gave a tight lipped smile of victory while Remus and Logan whopped. He thought about shooting them a glare but decided against it. He was feeling the high of triumph as well.

There was little to say after that. Albus had tried briefly to see if Logan would agree to lessons, as he had promised at the beginning of the year, but the boy had rebuked him. They left soon after, Remus escorting Logan to the Gryffindor common room. Severus retired to his chambers, wanting to brew a few potions before his patrol that evening. Albus was left staring at the folder, which the trio had left, and wondering where everything had gone wrong.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Chapter End

Sorry, I kinda fucked off for a while. I've had this mostly finished for a while but I've been lazy. Here ya go tho! Some fun stuff is going to happen with Logan soon, plus there's going to be more Sirius in the next few chapters. Hope ya like it!


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